Kentucky department of agriculture serves as the official state agency (OSA) serving the agriculture community in kentucky

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the Kentucky Department of Agriculture a cooperative agreement totaling $219,557 on April 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture, serving as the Official State Agency for the agriculture community in Kentucky, delivers integrated animal health surveillance and disease support across five focus areas: general avian health, cattle health, swine health, sheep and goat health, and One Health initiatives. The department performs National Poultry Improvement Plan functions for backyard flocks in coordination with the Kentucky Poultry Federation and supports APHIS Veterinary Services functions integral to Kentucky's livestock industries and the nation's food supply and public health interests. Kentucky's geographic position as a transportation hub for livestock and agricultural products—leveraging interstate systems, major river networks, and international airports—positions the state to address disease exposure risks from migratory waterfowl and high-volume import and export activities, including competitive livestock exhibitions.

The performance period runs April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, with work performed in Kentucky. The award obligates $219,557 toward supporting animal disease early detection, biosecurity planning, and rapid control measures across poultry, equine, cattle, swine, and small ruminant industries that generate substantial economic impact and movement of livestock and products through Kentucky.

The department executes several functions that serve kentucky, the nation, and the agriculture industry to protect said industry and the public by early detection, biosecurity planning and rapid control of diseases of concern. While the poultry, equine and cattle industries stand as the top receipt producers in kentucky, the commonwealth is a large contributor in the realm of small ruminant and swine. The direct economic impact of these industries on the state is accompanied by the geographical position of kentucky, serving as a through way to the rest of the US and the world. Kentucky benefits from a well-developed interstate system, the ohio and mississippi rivers, and heavily utilized international airports, with significant movement of livestock and agriculture products daily. Such advantageous placement on the continent comes with a range of risks. These risks include exposure to our poultry by the migratory waterfowl, as well as exhibit and competitive events that involve import and export activities such as the north american international livestock exhibition. The cooperator will perform several integral functions for aphis veterinary services. Demonstrated in each of the deliverable categories below are integral functions that are efficient and integral, not only to kentucky�S economy, but to the food supply and public health interests of the entire united states. Deliverable and expected outcomes for the cooperative agreement will center around five objectives, including general avian health support, cattle health support, one health support, and sheep, goat, and cervid health support, and swine health support. General avian support � kentucky department of agriculture has dual official state agency (OSA) status with kentucky poultry federation (KPF), and performs npip functions for the backyard flocks while KPF provides the cooperative oversight for commercial flocks. Kentucky department of agriculture (KDA) will conduct approximately 226 AI npip backyard surveillance trips and provide these premises mailers for AI recertification and biosecurity, sanitation and disease control pamphlets to enhance biosecurity and disease awareness. KDA staff will document all avian premises visits in their online work reporting system and summary information will be provided quarterly to USDA. KDA personnel will perform 70 inspections and sampling of birds at poultry events, shows and fairs, flea markets, farmers markets, swap meets, and feed stores. Biosecurity will be assessed by area inspectors during all inspections. In addition, staff will document all avian premises visits in their online work reporting system and summary information will be provided quarterly to USDA. 10 visits will be conducted for AI surveillance in response to sick bird calls and reported mortality. Necropsy and sampling for AI will be performed in all cases of unexplained respiratory diseases, EGG production drop and mortality in poultry. KDA will contract with murray state university and the univers ITY of kentucky veterinary laboratories to conduct necropsy and testing on authorized birds presented by producers. KDA staff will document all avian premises visits in their online work reporting system and summary information will be provided quarterly to USDA. KDA personnel will perform approximately 156 biosecurity audits of npip backyard flocks and approximately 70 biosecurity audits at live bird markets (LBMS), shows and fairs, flea markets, farmers markets, swap meets, and feed stores. Biosecurity will be assessed during all inspections. KDA staff will document all avian premises visits in their online work reporting system and summary information will be provided quarterly to USDA. Field staff report information to the avian program coordinator by forms and records. The avian program coordinator is responsible for data entry and record keeping for npip and avian health programs. The agreement will provide for biosecurity supplies for 18 field staff for poultry premises to include PPE, testing supplies (antigen for pullorum-typhoid, needles, syringes, sample tubes, swabs, leg bands and shipping boxes) for approximately 6000 birds. Shipping costs for shipment of samples to the laboratory and shipment of supplies to field staff will also be included. Printing and paper for outreach and education related to avian health. In addition, a storage shed to house all depopulation equipment to not contaminate our other supplies (i.e. PPE, testing supplies, tags, etc.) specific laboratory diagnostics will include 580 npip PCR tests, LBMS BYF PCR tests and 5 gross necropsies, 6400 pullorum-typhoid (PT) tests, and 15 MS and MG tests. KDA will periodically need to test birds from backyard producers. These tests are to rule out if the death may be disease related. These test are also to rule out toxin, chem