Russia will end its ban of U.S.-produced poultry under a new agreement announced by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Once signed, U.S. producers can resume shipments of poultry to Russia.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will publish information on the USDA website about Russian-approved methods to disinfect and remove pathogens from poultry and other food. The U.S. will also give Russia information on cleansing solutions used to clean poultry shipped to Russia, and an updated list of processors approved to ship poultry to Russia.
The National Chicken Council called the agreement good news, saying the impact on the industry depends on details and implementation of the agreement. Russia had spent as much as $800 million a year on U.S. chicken imports prior to the ban imposed in January this year.
