North Dakota Farmers Union is reasonable and rational in its urging the federal government to open Conservation Reserve Program acres for emergency haying and grazing due to the widespread drought in the Upper Great Plains, including our region.

Hopefully, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will take action on the request, which was encouraged in a letter signed by four Farmers Union states.

Prolonged drought is having a dramatic effect on agriculture in the region at a time when agriculture is already struggling with commodities markets and other challenges. Farmers and ranchers are made of hearty stock and are well used to overcoming hardships. Furthermore, they appreciate the value of the CRP, so it seems unlikely that they would make a request such as this were it not for dire conditions.

There appears to be no end in sight to drought conditions, at least in our region. Two weeks of potential rainfall now has resulted in just the slightest precipitation. While this might be a nuisance to city residents, the impact is potentially far greater on agriculture producers. Of course, difficulty for the latter tends to impact everyone.

The federal government would be wise to consider the request and if unable to comply, hopefully a good reason will be offered. Farmers deserve that, as a bare minimum.