Kansas Ag Dept. Moving To Manhattan

The Kansas Department of Agriculture says it will move most of its programs to Manhattan by the summer of 2014.

Agriculture Secretary Dale Rodman announced the decision Thursday, calling Manhattan the state’s "value-added center for agriculture" because of the educational and bio-science entities located there.

The agency will be housed in a new building at Kansas State University’s research park. Also nearby are the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, on which construction is pending, and other agricultural entities.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many employees will be affected. The Agriculture Department will keep its main office in Topeka, where it now has 174 employees. Field offices in Stafford, Stockton, Parsons and Garden City will also remain open.