16 January 2003 20:26
Belarus suspends poultry imports from California
[Presenter] Belarus has suspended poultry imports from the state of California. The main reason for the prohibition
of Bush's legs [jocular definition of US chicken legs in the former Soviet Union] is the nonconformity of the
American products with local quality standards. Pathogenic germs have been found in Californian chicken legs. Quarantine
has been introduced in the state. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has said that the ban on poultry imports from the
USA would not negatively affect Belarusian consumers.
[Kanstantsin Karpuk, captioned as the director-general of the Belptushkapram (Belarusian poultry production) concern,
speaking in Russian] One should not rejoice if someone gets into trouble. I believe so. One should work to make sure
that products are clean and to compete with others. We have enough of our own products, poultry in particular.
[Passage omitted: background on Russia's decision to suspend US poultry imports last year, details on the
quarantine in the USA.]
[Belarusian television] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
