U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined a bipartisan group of 37 senators from farm states in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to push the Chinese government to end its ban on the sale of American poultry products.
The ban was instituted by China in 2015 due to the detection of a wild duck with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influence (HPAI) and continues to be enforced, contradicting the World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards.
“Poultry is produced in almost every state. For communities and states that rely on a thriving and growing poultry industry, these agreements are essential to a strong and vibrant future,” the Senators wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who visited Delaware earlier this week at the request of the congressional delegation.
The United States is the largest poultry producer in the world and the second biggest poultry meat exporter, with nearly 18 percent of its product shipped to foreign markets. According to the Delmarva Poultry Institute, Delaware ranks 8th in the nation in
According to the Delmarva Poultry Institute, Delaware ranks 8th in the nation in value of poultry production and Sussex County ranks No.1 among America’s counties in meat chicken production. Most of the grain grown in Delaware is used for chicken feed.
“The poultry industry provides thousands of high-quality jobs in our rural communities and the reopening of the Chinese market would provide a huge boost for these rural areas. We encourage you to remain focused on the next steps to officially reopen the Chinese market as soon as possible,” the Senators wrote in a letter to the secretary.
The full text of the letter follows. A copy of the letter is available here.
