A recent World Trade Organization ruling paves the way for India to import high quality poultry and eggs from the United States, potentially opening up a $300 million a year export market. The ruling was hailed by lawmakers from states such as Georgia, Virginia and Delaware, which employ hundreds of thousands of workers in the poultry industry.
The United States vies with Brazil as the world’s largest exporter of broiler (chicken) meat. “U.S. producers are ready and have been ready to provide high quality poultry and poultry products to the Indian market,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
India’s broiler consumption is rising rapidly as its residents increase their protein intake. USDA forecasts consumption in 2014 at 3.7 million tonnes, up 40 percent from as recently as 2010.
