SPRINGDALE, ARK. -- Tyson Foods indicated it is ready to resume exporting chicken to Russia after that country universally banned chlorine-treated poultry imports earlier this year. Since early January, Russia's export market has been closed and has cost Tyson an estimated $85 million in lost sales potential.

“Some of our poultry plants have submitted applications to U.S.D.A. inspectors to resume chicken exports to Russia,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson told MEATPOULTRY.com. “We’ve been told these facilities will be eligible to export to Russia once they are on the U.S.D.A.’s approved list and the list is submitted to the Russian Federation. It’s our understanding U.S.D.A. will transmit the first list this Friday [July 23].


‘We’re ready to start producing product for our Russian customers and hope to resume shipments soon,” he concluded.