Frozen poultry exports from China’s eastern Shandong province to Russia have resumed, after an outbreak of avian influenza prevented Chinese frozen poultry from accessing the Russian market, Xinhua reported.
The move came after the protocols on veterinary and phytosanitary requirements for the supply of frozen poultry meat and dairy products between China and Russia signed last year.
According to customs authorities, as of March 21, 15 Shandong-based enterprises licensed to export frozen poultry to Russia have been listed on the official website of Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor). As China’s major livestock production province, Shandong exported 40,840 tons of frozen poultry in 2018, ranking first in the country and making up one-sixth of the nation’s total.
Late last year, Russia started supplying frozen poultry to China, ending several years of waiting for meat producers to gain access to the major market.
Domestic producers have boosted their output since 2014 when Moscow banned most Western food imports in reaction to sanctions imposed on Russia over the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and other factors.
They have also been betting on starting exports to China, a major market for pork, poultry and offal.
“Exports to China mean above all improved production profitability and sales of products which are not in demand in our market (like offal),” Sergei Yushin, President of the Russian Meat Association, told Reuters at the time.
