020434 Russians Hit U.S. Poultry Standards

Moscow - A top Russian agriculture official said that the United States has fulfilled just two of 12 conditions that would lift a month-old ban on U.S. chicken and turkey exports to Russia.

Russia cited concerns about sanitary conditions in U.S. plants, including salmonella contamination, and the use of antibiotics and feed additives in chicken production when it banned American poultry imports as of March 10. U.S. officials said the ban wasn't justified scientifically and allowed Russian inspectors to review U.S. facilities.

Last month, U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and Russia's chief veterinary inspector, Mikhail Kravchuk, signed a 12-point protocol outlining steps to be taken to end the ban by April 10. The final U.S. documents were delivered to Russia and some are still being reviewed, First Deputy Agriculture Minister Sergei Dankvert said, according to the Interfax news agency.

He said five of the U.S. commitments still had to be "finalized" and five more required further talks with U.S. veterinary specialists.

Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said that the country shouldn't fix a deadline for lifting the ban.

"We will life the ban on poultry imports when U.S. suppliers meet all our terms and ensure the deliveries of quality product to Russia," he said at a news conference in Novosibirsk, according to ITAR-Tass news agency.

Russia's lower house of parliament on Friday unanimously passed a resolution urging the government to extend the ban on U.S. poultry imports "pending the fulfillment of the protocol by the American side." The nonbinding resolution also urged the Cabinet to work out a program to encourage local poultry farms.

Chicken is the top American export to Russia, bringing $600 million to $700 million a year to producers in 38 U.S. states. The ban has strained relations ahead of President Bush's visit to Russia next month.

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