ST. LOUIS —The U.S. Department of Agriculture will close 10 offices in Missouri as part of a sweeping effort to eliminate costs and streamline the agency's operations.

The offices include two in Hillsboro and one in St. Louis.

Agency officials said Tuesday that employees were being given the option to move to other offices or telecommute, and that agency operations would not be affected.

“It's not going to affect the delivery of programs or the employees,” said spokesman Matt Herrick.

The St. Louis office is part of the agency's Food and Nutrition Services division, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly referred to as food stamps, as well as the School Lunch Program.

The division's St. Louis office, which had two employees, oversaw the retailers that deliver SNAP benefits, making sure that they “deliver and redeem the benefits appropriately and legally,” Herrick said.

The department is also closing a Farm Service Agency office and Rural Development Agency office in Hillsboro. The offices administered benefits and programs to farmers who will now have to travel to adjacent counties for services. Employees can elect to move to other offices.

“Producers are going to have access to a Farm Service Agency,” said Edward Hamill, the state's Farm Service Agency director. “We've got some services in surrounding counties, and farmers and ranchers will be able to choose which counties they want to have their records administered in.”

Late Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the department would close more than 259 offices and facilities in 46 states. The department is aiming to save $150 million annually.