When President Barack Obama meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev this week about trade issues, Georgia's poultry farmers and the politicians who represent them hope to discuss the ban on US poultry.

 

Russia has traditionally been the biggest importer of US poultry. Georgia has been the nation's biggest chicken producer and trading partner in poultry.

 

But since January this year, Russia has banned imports of US chicken over food safety concerns. Specifically, Russian officials said they have a problem with the way US chickens are cleaned by washing them with a concentration of chlorine.

 

On Monday (June 21), Georgia senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson joined 23 of their colleagues in urging Obama to address the ban with Medvedev this week when the two meet in advance of a G-8 summit in Canada. Chambliss is the ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

 

Since Russia has imported chickens processed using chlorinated water since 1990, the current ban "seems arbitrary and capricious," the senators wrote in a letter to Obama. According to the senators, the use of chlorine to clean chickens is a safe and cost-effective way to maintain food safety.

 

Poultry exports to Russia averaged more than US$800 million annually over the past three years and represent 500,000 US jobs. A continuation of the ban could result in lower chicken prices for US consumers, but could hurt the poultry industry greatly, boosters said.