The United States and Russia have reached agreement to resume US poultry exports to Russia.
Under the agreement, the US will publish on the USDA website which disinfectants/pathogen treatments are approved by Russia for use in poultry processing and on food generally, USDA reported. Additionally, the US will provide information about solutions that poultry companies use on poultry exported to Russia, and Russia will receive an updated list of processing facilities authorized to ship poultry to Russia.
"I am pleased that after several months of negotiations, we have finally reached a breakthrough which will allow for US poultry exports to resume to this important market," said US Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "In 2009, US poultry exports to Russia were valued at $767 million. Today's agreement will not only benefit our farmers and ranchers, but it will help support agriculture jobs here at home."
In February, Russia implemented a ban on chilled and frozen US meat and poultry imports after the US failed to provide documentation confirming that meat and poultry exported to Russia is free of ractopamine, a feed additive. Russia imported 356,000 tonnes of poultry between January and October 2012.
