Gov. Sam Brownback is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture
to declare a drought disaster for 21 counties in western Kansas.

The governor made the request in a letter Wednesday to U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack. The declaration would make affected farmers
eligible for emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency, and for other kinds of aid.

The 21 counties in Brownback’s request are Finney, Gove, Grant, Greeley,
Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Scott,
Seward,
Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita.

Brownback said farmers in those counties are coping with production losses
caused by drought, wildfires and high winds.