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Ukraine permitted poultry meat imports from US
Ukraine has cancelled ban on poultry meat import from the US, introduced in January 2002, on a condition that the exporting company provides a veterinary certificate, showing that no antibiotics or other anti-bacterial substances have been used in production of the meat.
Head of Ukraine's State Veterinary Medicine Department Petro Verbytsky said to a press-conference on Tuesday that the corresponding agreement had been signed during a visit of Ukraine's official delegation to USA on March 26-30. Conditions of US meat imports to Ukraine were determined during this visit.
In particular, it has been agreed that the certificate provided by exporters must be counterfeit-protected and each shipment of meat must be accompanied by its original and properly marked.
"No more barriers for poultry meat imports to Ukraine from the US exist, as far as certification requirements are met", Verbytsky said.
At the same time, he noted that the certification would exist on a temporary basis - till the parties agreed their positions with regard to imports of meat, produced with the usage of antibiotics as growth stimulators. He said Ukraine was ready to consider possibility of changing its requirements as for growth stimulators if US suggested well-grounded substantiation of their safety.
According to information from US Council on Poultry and Eggs Exports with reference to its President Jim Sumner, the American party has been satisfied with the agreement reached. The President of National Poultry Producers' Union Jorge Watts said that requirements of Ukrainian party had now been met and trade between the two countries would be renewed. Late in March Ukraine and USA signed intermediary veterinary certificate, providing for imports of American chicken meat to Ukraine.
At the same time, American party repeated its anxiety about legislative restrictions of antibiotic usage by Ukraine, which, to its opinion, were not sufficiently justified, being based on risk assessments of separately taken preparations.
Ukraine prohibited import of chicken meat from USA starting from January 1, 2002, because American technologies of poultry breeding were using antibiotics and other stimulators, and in treatment of carcasses they applied disinfectants and preservatives. In Ukraine utilisation of such substances is prohibited.
In 2001 Ukraine imported 72,000 tonnes of meat, of which 69,000 tonnes was poultry. The share of US poultry meat import was 90 percent.
Last year production of broiler meat in Ukraine constituted 136,000 tonnes - 1.7 times up from the year before. Experts forecast poultry meat production this year might reach 180,000 to 200,000 tonnes.
Ukraine has potential capacities for poultry meat production of 400,000 tonnes per year.