Delmarva poultry producers are pushing a Russian decision to remove a five-month ban on US poultry exports, even though the exports do not make up a huge portion of industry business.

In 2009, Delaware exported US$21.8 million in poultry meat and edible parts to Russia, according to the International Trade and Development Office, part of Delaware's Office of Management and Budget. The state's poultry industry is worth about US$2.5 billion, according to the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc.

Russia banned all chlorine-treated poultry imports in January. The Obama administration was able to persuade Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to lift the ban last week, in return for US support of its entry into the World Trade Organization.

The News Journal incorrectly reported Saturday that the agreement retracted a 2008 Russian ban on US poultry affecting 19 US poultry farms.

Delaware Democratic Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman were among 25 senators to sign a letter urging Obama to press for lifting the ban. Carper said the ban was not based on health concerns.

USDA report says the agreement requires the US to publish information on the USDA's website about which disinfectants are known to be approved by Russia for use on processing poultry and food, provide information to Russia on the solutions that companies use on poultry, and give Russia an updated list of poultry processing facilities authorised to ship poultry there.