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Lawmakers press Department of Agriculture for oversight as avian influenza outbreaks spread in southwest Missouri
Summary
Representatives pressed the Department of Agriculture for more staff and clearer communication after poultry producers in southwest Missouri reported large losses from avian influenza; lawmakers asked for a follow‑up subcommittee oversight hearing and the department agreed to schedule one.
Multiple representatives urged the Department of Agriculture to detail its response to an ongoing avian influenza outbreak affecting poultry operations, particularly in southwest Missouri.
Representative Kupps described the outbreak as “one of the worst agricultural disasters in the state's history” and said constituents had lost flocks and faced long‑term economic consequences. She told the committee the industry and local communities want clearer communication and said members of the poultry sector should be included in an oversight conversation.
The department's Division of Animal Health director, State Veterinarian Dr. Steve Struburg, said federal partners at USDA are on the ground and that Missouri’s staff are working with them. He described constraints on personnel and biosecurity requirements that limit how staff rotate between farms during a response. "We have teams on the ground from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well helping work alongside our team to address the challenges that the avian influenza outbreak has brought to the state of Missouri," a department official said.
Committee members asked for details on indemnity and compensation. The state veterinarian said USDA indemnity values vary by bird species and age (examples cited in committee testimony ranged from a few dollars for some broiler chickens to substantially higher values for turkeys), and that indemnity programs and emergency response funds are federal programs administered with state cooperation.
Lawmakers asked for an oversight hearing. Representative Kupps invited the department to a subcommittee hearing with local producers and federal partners, and the department agreed to follow up to schedule the session and coordinate presentations from industry and USDA.
Ending: The department said it would provide follow‑up information about laboratory capacity, private‑sector research and testing, indemnity ranges, and staffing/governance for future briefings and a subcommittee oversight hearing.
