MOSCOW/RIO DE JANEIRO, April 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday it had lifted a temporary ban imposed on meat supplies last year from one of the eight Brazilian states affected by foot-and-mouth disease.
"The ban has been lifted for the state of Rio Grande do Sul," the ministry said.
Rio Grande do Sul had escaped the outbreak, but the disease was reported in the neighboring states of Parana and Mato Grosso, prompting the December 13, 2005 ban.
The Agriculture Ministry of Brazil, one of Russia's main suppliers of meat, said in a news release that 60,000 metric tons of meat was ready to be sent to Russia from the state.
It said 71,000 metric tons of pork and 1,000 tons of beef worth an overall $150 million had been delivered to Russia in 2005.
The ban covers supplies of livestock, all kinds of meat, fish, milk, dairy products, fodder, and used equipment for livestock and poultry.
