Russia Suspends Transit of Poultry Meat from the USA to Kazakhstan

 

From July 24, Russia is introducing restrictions on the import and transit of poultry products from the United States of America. This decision is due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the USA, which has already affected 38 states. States such as New Mexico, Minnesota, and Colorado have recorded numerous cases of repeated outbreaks among domestic poultry. It is noted that Rosselkhoznadzor is concerned about the lack of comprehensive information on the measures being taken by the US veterinary service to control and eradicate the disease.

 

The list of prohibited products includes live poultry, hatching eggs, poultry meat, and various types of processed poultry meat products, except those that have undergone special treatment to destroy viruses. The ban also extends to poultry feed and feed additives, except those made from plant, chemical, and microbiological components and have undergone appropriate processing. Additionally, used equipment for keeping, slaughtering, and processing poultry is also banned.

 

The decision on the possible lifting of the introduced restrictions will be considered by Rosselkhoznadzor after receiving comprehensive information on measures to combat avian influenza in the USA and subsequent negotiations between the regulatory authorities of Russia and the United States.

 

The United States is not a major supplier of poultry meat to Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, in the first ten months of 2023, only 15 thousand tons of chicken meat were supplied through Russia to Kazakhstan, which is only 3.5% of the country's total poultry meat consumption. Kazakhstan, in turn, has also imposed a ban on the import of poultry products from several US states due to the threat of avian influenza.

 

Nevertheless, Kazakhstan is actively working to reduce its dependence on poultry meat imports. According to the analytical center of the AITAS holding, 329 thousand tons of poultry meat were produced in the country in 2023, and the production volume for January and February of this year was 56.5 thousand tons.