AGRICULTURE REPORT - Russia Lifts Ban on American Chickens

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AGRICULTURE REPORT
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May 7, 2002: Russia Lifts Ban on American Chickens

By George Grow

This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.

American agriculture is recovering from a Russian ban on chicken imports from the United States. The Russian
government ended its month-long ban on American chicken and other poultry¹ products last month. Yet the
effects of the trade ban continue to affect American farmers and the American meat industry.

In recent weeks, prices for chicken and other poultry products dropped because of
fewer exports. Many Americans bought more chicken, but spent less on beef and
pork products. Because of this, beef and pork prices dropped, too. That is good news
for most people, but bad news for farmers.

Russia is the largest market for American poultry exports. Last year, American
producers earned more than six-hundred-million dollars from poultry exports to
Russia.

Russian officials announced the import ban in early March. They said American
poultry processing centers were not clean. They also objected to the poultry being
fed antibiotic² drugs and other chemicals.

American officials denied the poultry producers were in violation³ of Russian health rules. Some trade experts
suspect the ban had little to do with chicken or poultry products. They said Russian officials were angry about a
decision by President Bush to order high taxes on steel imports entering the United States. Steel is a major
Russian export.

For weeks, American officials negotiated⁴ with the Russian government to end the ban on poultry imports. Mister⁵
Bush even called Russian leader Vladimir Putin to urge an end to the dispute⁶. In late March, the two sides signed
an agreement. Russia agreed to end the ban on imports from all but four American states. Russian inspectors⁷
reportedly found diseased chickens from those states.

As part of the agreement, American agricultural officials now require poultry producers to have a new health
permit. They also require new methods to test chickens for salmonella bacteria. Salmonella has been linked to
food poisoning.

The day after the ban ended, Russia ’s Agriculture Ministry⁸ announced that Russian companies must have a new
permit if they plan to import American poultry. American officials warned that this requirement could delay the
recovery⁹ of American poultry sales.

This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow.

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