November 10, 2014

US, Russia poultry industry leaders keep partnership despite food import bans

Despite Russia's ban on food imports from the US, stakeholders from the two countries' poultry industries continue to be partners in addressing common issues and problems, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.

The council's spokesman, Toby Moore, said the sanctions "have had no impact on this area of cooperation" since both the US and Russian poultry industries are members of the International Poultry Council, an organization composed of industry leaders from 28 countries, according to a report  by the state-controlled RIA Novosti.

Moore also said that the main cooperative effort between Russian and US poultry industries dates back to the late 1990s when they formed Elinar Broiler, which is now a major supplier of chicken products to supermarkets in the Moscow region. Moore said it was formed as a cooperative demonstration project between the US industry and a Russian partner to help modernize the Russian industry.

Although the Russian partner eventually took ownership of Elinar, Moore said several US poultry executives remain active on its board of directors.

"To my knowledge, the sanctions have had little or no impact on the cooperation between the two industries," Moore was quoted by RIA as saying.

"Neither the economic sanctions imposed against Russia by the West, nor the retaliatory food bans imposed by Russia, have had a noticeable impact on the US poultry business."

Moscow banned agricultural and food product imports--including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, milk and dairy products--from Australia, Canada, the EU, the US and Norway starting last August 7 to retaliate the trade sanctions those countries imposed over its alleged backing of separatist rebels in Ukraine.