RUSSIA BANS ALL POULTRY IMPORTS

Catches U. S. by surprise

Russia abruptly ended all poultry imports recently, an action that caught U.S. officials and industry by surprise. The Russian government said the move was due to violations of import regulations, but said a new system would be in place very soon. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, during a press briefing on USDA BSE testing, said he and Ambassador Rob Portman urged their Russian counterparts to lift the ban, but added poultry on ships by a date certain would be allowed into the country. Surprisingly to many, the Russian market represents 30% of U.S. poultry sold overseas.