Russia market reopens to U.S. pork imports

Russia plans to resume pork imports from the United States around March 10, Rus­­sia’s veterinary and phytosanitary service said last week. Russia banned most meat imports from the United States early last year due to concerns over the use of the feed additive ractopamine despite scientific evidence showing it to be safe.

The prospect of resumed U.S. pork exports to Russia, along with supply concerns from the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, helped push up lean hog futures to more than $100 per hundred pounds last week.