Senators ask for disaster declarations

U.S. senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack asking him to grant Gov. Jay Nixon's request for a primary disaster declaration for 114 counties in Missouri.

The request is due to the losses sustained by farmers and ranchers as a result of the extreme drought conditions.

The declaration would allow them to qualify for Farm Service Agency emergency loans, emergency grazing and haying and other financial assistance.