Russia Allows Sanderson Farms to Resume Exports

Sanderson Farms has resumed chicken exports to Russia following the country’s ban on US poultry products in January.

Russia banned imports of the products, citing the use of chlorine rinse disinfectants used in US poultry processing plants.

Plants that switched to other disinfectants were allowed by Russia to resume exports.

In the first quarter of 2010, the US shipped nearly 34,000t of chicken to Russia, down nearly 80% from the same period a year earlier.

The ban has also affected chicken prices, with Sanderson reporting the price of leg quarters down by 22% in the third quarter ended 31 July, according to Reuters.

The Mississippi-based company’s revenue fell 3.1% to $489.1m in the quarter and earned $36.1m, down from $43m a year earlier ago.