990278 USDA Outlines Tentative Types of Meat for Russia

Washington - U.S. beef chucks, rounds, trimmings and brisket will likely be sent to Russia under a massive food aid package for the country, a U.S. Agriculture Department official said Wednesday.

Although the deal is not final, the beef portion will probably be evenly divided among the four cuts and will also include liver, John Reddington, director of the livestock and poultry division at the Foreign Agricultural Service, said.

The USDA likely will equally divide the pork allotment between trimmings and picnics, and as expected, will devote leg quarters in the poultry portion, he said.

Final details on the cuts are still being negotiated with Russian officials, Reddington said. He repeated that he expects the deal will be finalized sometime this week.

The United States has agreed to provide nearly $1 billion in food aid to Russia under a deal announced late last year.

The package provides for the sale of 120,000 tonnes of U.S. beef, 50,000 tonnes of pork and 50,000 tonnes of poultry under title one of the PL-480 program, which provides low-interest, long-term credit for food purchases. USDA officials said this week that meat shipments could begin in late March.

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