This article was reprinted with permission from .听
As Virginians gather around the table for some Thanksgiving turkey, the state鈥檚 first shipment of turkey products are headed to India, thanks in part to the work of the state鈥檚 two U.S. senators.
Earlier this month, Sen. Mark Warner announced that India will receive the frozen birds after reduced tariffs facilitated the first shipment
鈥淥bviously you鈥檝e got a big turkey industry in the Shenandoah Valley,鈥� Warner said during a press conference on Nov. 14. 鈥淲e have been fighting for some time to get the markets of India and Turkey, (the) country Turkey, open. That has now taken place.鈥�
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Virginia was the country鈥檚 sixth largest producer of turkeys in 2023 with 15.5 million birds, while its North Carolina neighbor ranked second with 29 million birds. Minnesota had the most with 38.5 million birds.
In 2021, Virginia鈥檚 turkey production contributed to the overall poultry industry鈥檚 economic impact of $5.8 billion directly to Virginia鈥檚 economy. John King, president of the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative, said in a statement that the shipment to India 鈥渨ill directly benefit our nearly 200 independent grower owners.鈥�
The shipment earlier this month occurred after Ambassador Katherine Tai, the U.S. trade representative, worked with India to get the country to reduce tariffs on frozen turkey, frozen duck and fresh frozen, dried and processed blueberries and cranberries.
In June 2023, before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United States, Warner, Sen. Tim Kaine and five other senators sent a聽聽to Tai urging her to work to get India to reduce the tariff, which amounted to an additional 30% duty, or fee. In聽, Tai announced the tariff for turkey products dropping to 5%.
鈥淩esolving this last outstanding (World Trade Organization) dispute represents an important milestone in the U.S.-India trade relationship, while reducing tariffs on certain U.S. products enhances crucial market access for American agricultural producers,鈥� Tai said in a statement.
The demand for turkey is 鈥渟trong鈥� in India, said聽Shana Oshinskie, a spokesperson for Warner鈥檚 office, 鈥渄riven in part by their robust population growth, lack of a domestic alternative, and increasing protein need.鈥�
According to the World Health Organization, the population of聽聽is expected to increase to about 1.7 billion people by 2050. In 2016, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, produced a聽聽outlining ways to increase domestic turkey rearing and called the birds鈥� meat 鈥渢he leanest among other poultry species with lower fat and cholesterol content compared to red meat.鈥�
鈥淭his is part of Sen. Warner鈥檚 broader push to strengthen our economic and diplomatic ties with India, one of our most key partners, and this move particularly benefits Virginia鈥檚 sizable population of poultry producers,鈥� Oshinskie added.
King, by phone interview, said his group had sales of turkey鈥檚 at a rate of about 17.7 pounds per person when the group started 20 years ago, but that鈥檚聽聽to about 13.9 pounds per person this year due to bird illnesses, limited supply and rising costs. While Mexico 鈥渃ontinues to be a great trading partner,鈥� markets in China have become 鈥渘ot as reliable,鈥� King said, prompting the desire to seek the populous India.
鈥淲e need some help in the export markets,鈥� King said.
The first shipment of frozen turkey products raised by the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative left the U.S. out of the Port of Virginia. They鈥檙e expected to arrive in the country in the coming weeks, Oshinskie said.
