Members of the National Turkey Federation applaud President Barack Obama’s announcement that he and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have reached an agreement lifting the trade ban on U.S. poultry exports to Russia.
NTF also praised the efforts of U.S. Democratic Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, chairwoman of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, a Republican senator from Georgia. The two wrote President Obama last week, explaining the urgent need to end the trade impasse and urging him to make the issue a priority during his meeting with the Russian president.
The poultry industry has long emphasized that internationally recognized scientific methodology has proven U.S. poultry processing practices are safe and that the trade restrictions are unwarranted.
Lincoln and Chambliss were joined by 22 other senators, including Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar in sending the letter to President Obama in advance of the meeting.
During the last three years, U.S. poultry exports to Russia averaged more than $800 million in value, making Russia the single largest U.S. export market. The poultry industry represents more than 500,000 jobs in the U.S.
