North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne met with Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer as well as Burlington Northern Rail officials this week.  Watne says rail delays and costs are hurting the state’s ag producers.

Watne says the delays are causing shipping of grains to become quite costly.

He says it will take time to find a solution to the problem.

Watne says the good news is that BNSF is trying to help by providing more locomotives and employees to try and address the situation. He says one other problem is that oil and coal interests are getting priority ahead of grain and sugar shipments.