November 23, 2006

 

Russian broiler production to grow 18 percent next year

 

 

Russian broiler production is expected to grow 18 percent in 2007 as the country's production this year hit the peak level of 180,000 tonnes reached in 1990,  according to a report by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

 

The United States (US) and Russia reached an agreement on Friday, November 10, 2006 on Russia's eventual entry in to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

 

In signing the agreement, Russia has agreed to lower tariffs by about 3 percent on manufactured and agricultural products. However, Russia will maintain the right to extend US quotas on US meat after 2008 and the US has agreed to let Russia inspect meat production facilities in the US.

 

Poultry consumption in Russia is now increasing after dropping during the bird flu outbreak earlier this year. Production also increased in the first 9 months of the year reaching near-peak levels in 1990 of 180,000 tonnes.

  

Egg production increased 2.8 percent from January-July, 2006 over the same period last year while turkey production is also growing with new production facilities being constructed.

 

Poultry imports during January-August, 2006 period fell to 818,000 tonnes from 834,000 tonnes the same period last year.

 

One aspect of the agreement that saw changes was in the area of plant inspections. Previously, Russia and the US jointly inspected all pork or poultry facilities that wanted to export product to Russia. The process prevented exports from new plants, or plants needing to remedy a deficiency found during the joint audit, until the next joint inspection occurred.

 

Under the new agreement USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is authorized to certify new facilities and/or facilities needing to remedy a deficiency found in the annual joint audit by USDA and Russian officials.

 

If a facility fails a joint inspection it will be de-listed until it is recertified by FSIS. The agreement also implements a new process whereby the annual joint audits will review up to 50 percent of the newly certified facilities FSIS approved since the last inspection; and any facility that at the most recent (previous) joint inspection were found deficient but in the interim were approved by FSIS.

 

Russia is especially concerned about diseases in pork and beef such as flesh worm and mad cow. Russia would have the right to stop import of such products according to international veterinary standards should there be violations or even suspicions of violations of the delivery of non-quality or dangerous products.

 

The Bilateral Meat Agreement signed in 2005 that will remain in force until 2009 allowed for quotas of 1.2 billion tonnes of poultry meat, 450,000 tonnes of beef and 502,000 tonnes of pork.

 

Currently the US has an assured quota for about 75 percent of Russia's total poultry imports.

 

The figure may change in the future as the Russians are presently seeking supplies from Columbia and Mexico.