The executive director of the North Dakota Grain Growers Association has this assessment of the drought.
"Oh, goodness sakes -- the drought is devastating in western North Dakota," said Dan Wogsland.
Wogsland said when he was on the crop quality tour at the end of July, what he saw stunned him.
"I went from Mandan to Richardton, up to Halliday and over to Hazen," Wogsland said. "I was astounded at how many wheat fields were bailed up. It's really, really tough."
Wogsland said the crops look better in eastern North Dakota. But he said in the West, the effects of the drought will be felt for a long time. Wogsland said this has shown the need for a strong crop insurance program.
"It is tremendously important," Wogsland said. "If we didn't have a strong crop insurance program, I don't know where we'd be."
Wogsland said it affects more than farmers.
"I can tell you that a lot of main streets would be devastated," Wogsland said. "Not only in western North Dakota, but region-wide."
And Wogsland said credit has now become is a concern for some Western North Dakota farmers – and his group is working on that issue.
"We want to make sure we have farmers on the land today can continue on the land tomorrow," Wogsland said.
