August 1, 2013
China stops imports of Arkansas poultry products
After birds on a Scott County farm tested positive for a low-pathogenic strain of avian flu in June, China has stopped importing poultry products from Arkansas.
This was according to federal agriculture officials who told members of the state''s congressional delegation on Tuesday (Jul 23).
Michael Teague, a spokesman for Sen. Mark Pryor (D., Ark.), said the USDA had sent members of Arkansas'' congressional delegation a notice from its Food Safety and Inspection Service that Arkansas poultrywas being blocked, effective July 22. Wisconsin poultry also was blocked that day.
The restricted-export list also includes products from New York and Virginia, plus certain items from Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas, based on the birds'' dates of slaughter. Arkansas is the nation''s second-largest poultry producer, behind Georgia. China also had blocked imports previously over avian flu concerns.
"All poultry and poultry products shipped from the State of Arkansas on or after July 22, 2013, are ineligible for export (to China)," the USDA said in a notice on its food-safety website that was dated Monday.
The USDA''s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said Japan had banned Arkansas imports effective June 20. Trade publications reported that Russia had also banned the birds.
In June, the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission said a chicken in Scott County tested positive for H7N7 low-pathogenic avian influenza. State agriculture officials quarantined poultry within a 6.2-mile radius.
Chickens can get avian flu from infected waterfowl or from contaminated water. Scott County suffered severe flooding in early June. At the time the avian flu case was confirmed, the Arkansas Health Department advised there was no public health threat and that poultry that was properly cooked would not spread the disease to people.
Pryor decried the decision, saying an "isolated incident" had led to the Chinese ban. "China is being unfair by banning poultry imports from our entire state," said Pryor. "Our products are safe, healthy, and nutritious. I''ll be working with food-safety and trade officials to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and reopen this market for our farmers. "