August 16, 2010

Russia lifts bans for most US poultry plants

The Russian Agriculture Ministry said Friday (Aug 13) that it would lift a ban on poultry imports for more than three-quarters of US facilities now blocked, acknowledging that the plants satisfy its requirements for meat treatment and production processing.

Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama struck a deal in June to allow US producers to import poultry meat that has been processed with substances other than chlorine. Implementation has been held up, however, by what Moscow has described as "technical" issues.

Of the 87 plants on a list proposed by the USDA, 68 will be allowed to resume poultry supplies to Russia on Monday (Aug 16), ministry spokesman Oleg Aksyonov said Friday. The remaining 19 facilities failed to meet the sanitary norms set by the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service, he said.

However, the USDA complained that the plan was not "an acceptable implementation" of the agreement reached in June. Russia will accept meat from only eight of the 27 slaughter and processing plants determined by the USDA as eligible to ship to the country, it said.

According to USDA, the remaining 60 plants that Russia is listing are cold storage facilities that can only handle poultry if there is poultry to handle.

Meanwhile, Russia, which spent more than US$750 million on US poultry last year, froze imports January 1 after long-planned regulations that forbid the import of poultry treated with chlorine-a production method used by many US producers-went into effect.

Russia made new demands earlier this month, saying the US should provide guarantees that the plants authorized to supply meat have been inspected properly.

Additionally, Russia is halting pork imports from plants in Missouri and Iowa owned by Smithfield Foods starting August 27, the USDA said Friday (Aug 13).