Russia plays political chicken : Simmons: ‘Won’t change what we are doing’
Posted on Sunday, September 7, 2008
Jeff Della Rosa / Siloam Sunday Russia has banned poultry produced by Siloam Springs-based Simmons Foods. The ban might be a political issue because of the recent fight between Russia and Georgia.
Russian consumers won't be eating chicken produced by the Siloam Springs-based poultry processor anytime soon.
The country banned imports from three plants owned by Simmons Foods and 16 other U. S. poultry plants.
The ban, which started Labor Day, affects Simmons Foods plants in • Southwest City, Mo.
• Decatur • Siloam Springs This ban, however, will likely have a small impact on the company's production.
"It won't change specifically what we are doing," said Todd Simmons, chief operating officer for Simmons Foods. "We don't do a lot of business with Russia."
Russia imported 1. 75 percent of what Simmons Foods has produced so far this year.
"It will go to zero," Simmons said.
Most of what the company sent to Russia was frozen chicken leg quarters.
The reason Russia won't accept poultry shipments from these U. S. plants is unclear.
But it might be a political move because the United States exports more poultry to Russia than any other product, Simmons said.
"It's hard to imagine chicken being a political pawn," he said.
The recent fight between Russia and Georgia might play a part in the poultry ban. Simmons Foods has limited it's exports to Russia because issues like these have come up before. A reason the ban might be in place is because high levels of bacteria were reportedly found by Russian officials in the poultry imports on multiple occasions including • Arsenic • Salmonella • E. coli Simmons said the product the company's shipped to Russia met all regulations of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
The company has no control over the product after it's on its way to Russia.
"We do all of that testing," he said.
The agriculture department allows poultry companies to test its own product and signs off on it.
Allowing this type of testing might be another reason for the ban.
The United States negotiated with Russia to allow companies to test this way about five years ago, Simmons said.
But Russia could now want testing done solely by government inspectors.
"It got lost in translation or used as a political pawn," he said.
Russian inspectors toured the Simmons Foods plants about three months ago.
A major concern the inspectors had then was the poultry was frozen too cold.
Simmons Foods will work with the USDA to determine what needs to be done to have the ban lifted.
"We're still trying to figure out why," Simmons said.
Russia plans to increase the amount of poultry it's processing to compensate for the loss of imports, according to an Aug. 29 article by Reuters. Simmons Foods continues to meet all USDA regulations, Simmons said.
"We're still producing the same wholesome product that we've been providing for over the past 50 years," he said.
No layoffs are expected because of the ban.
Simmons expects the ban will be lifted within months.
"Every customer is important," Simmons said. "Every market is important."
Simmons Foods has been exporting to Russia for about 15 years.
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