JOHANNESBURG Scottie Upshall Womens Jersey , March 4 (Xinhua) -- The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) on Friday cautioned against the arrival of the first consignment of chicken products from the United States.

""The chicken portions being imported from the U.S. have higher food safety risks than products from other exporting countries,""SAPA's CEO Kevin Lovell told Xinhua.

The arrival of American poultry products in South Africa is a prerequisite for Pretoria to continue benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

South Africa was under pressure to open its market to certain meat products from the U.S. or face compromising agricultural benefits under the AGOA.

On Thursday, Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said South Africa has concluded trade negotiations with the United States, thus securing Pretoria's position in the AGOA for the next 10 years.

Last Friday, the first shipment of American poultry (frozen chicken legs) arrived at the Port of Durban and was cleared by the Port Health Authorities, thus allowing the products to be placed on South Africa's retail shelves before the deadline of March 15 Joel Edmundson Womens Jersey , 2016, Davies said.

U.S. President Barack Obama set the deadline last year, threatening to suspend South Africa's agricultural benefits under the AGOA if American poultry products were not placed on South African shelves by March 15.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman has communicated his satisfaction to Davies, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Froman has indicated that he will recommend that Obama lift the threat of suspension of South Africa's agricultural concessions under the AGOA, the DTI said.

However, Froman did not announce the lifting of the suspension Carl Gunnarsson Womens Jersey , saying Obama was assessing the situation. But Obama's announcement appears to be a formality, expected probably by Thursday.

""We are delighted by the announcement from USTR (US Trade Representative) Froman today and we welcome the arrival of American chicken into commerce in South Africa. The entry of U.S. poultry into South Africa was required as a condition for avoiding South Africa's suspension under AGOA,"" US ambassador to South Africa, Patrick Gaspard said in a statement.

""Now that the issues involving AGOA have been resolved, we are focused on developing a broader, stronger economic partnership with South Africa Jaden Schwartz Womens Jersey , and we believe that expanding trade and investment in both directions is the best way to do so,"" the statement said.

As the SA government lauded the conclusion of trade negotiations with the U.S., voices of disagreement emerged.

Importing poultry from the U.S. as per AGOA will affect the livelihoods of small farmers and cost the country thousands of jobs, the Inkatha Freedom Party said.

""The dumping of foreign food into South Africa must be stopped forthwith,"" IFP's Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu told Xinhua.

South Africa used to block chicken imports from the U.S. because of outbreaks of avian flu in parts of the U.S. and because of concerns about salmonella infection. It has also been citing concerns about diseases in pork and beef to block imports of those products.

The AGOA, a legislation that was approved by the U.S. Congress in May 2000 Vladimir Tarasenko Womens Jersey , is to assist the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between the U.S. and the region. The Act provides trade preferences for quota and duty-free entry into the U.S. for certain products.

Although the U.S. renewed the AGOA for another decade in July, Washington is currently conducting an out-of-cycle review of SA's participation in the programme.

Bilateral trade between South Africa and the U.S. increased from about 130 billion (about 9.7 billion dollars) in 2013 to 141 billion rand (about 10.6 billion dollars) in 2014.

The United States enjoyed a trade surplus with South Africa in 2014, for the first time since 2009.

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), one of the world's biggest anti-poverty body with programs in more than 170 countries, on Wednesday convened a high-level meeting to celebrate its 50th anniversary at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Known throughout the world for its partnerships with governments to tackle poverty and inequality Vladimir Sobotka Jersey , the UNDP works with some of the world's poorest people to improve gender equality, tackle climate change, make farming and fishing more sustainable, and improve health and education.

UNDP, the UN's global development network, was set up in 1966 Colton Parayko Jersey , when one in every three people around the world was living in poverty. Ever since, the UN agency has been a leader in working for a more fair and prosperous world for all. As it begins its second half century, the numbers of people in poverty have decreased to around one in eight.

More than 80 government ministers came to New York to join the UN agency in the 50th anniversary celebrations. Their day-long discussions only briefly lingered on celebrating the achievements over the past half a century before turning to the practical matters at hand, how to do even more in the next 50 years, beginning with working towards achieving the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030.

""Today's meeting (is) an opportunity to help shape the future of UNDP around the world,"" said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark Carter Hutton Jersey , calling for governments to tell UNDP where it could be most helpful in supporting national development efforts.

The approach of ensuring outside development assistance is tailored to the needs and requests of developing countries, rather than imposed from outside, is just one of the ways that development has evolved in recent decades.

""The world has changed immeasurably in (the past 50 years), and UNDP has changed with it,"" said Clark.

The UNDP, which has been active in China for over the past three decades Jake Allen Jersey ,

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