March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Russia is halting poultry imports from three U.S. plants, including facilities owned by Tyson Foods Inc. and Sanderson Farms Inc., after reporting drug residue in shipments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Exports from the Tyson plant in Cumming, Georgia, and Sanderson’s facility in Hammond, Louisiana, won’t be allowed after March 27, the USDA said yesterday on its Web site. Russia also canceled shipments from a Peco Foods Inc. plant in Canton, Mississippi.

The USDA “has requested information from Russia,” spokeswoman Amanda Eamich said today in an e-mail. “We will then work with the establishments to determine if in fact the antibiotics and anti-parasitics were used and will then take appropriate actions.”

Tyson, the second-largest U.S. chicken processor, said the suspension should not impinge on global sales. Sanderson Chief Executive Joe Sanderson Jr. said he is waiting for more information from the USDA on the suspension.

“Since we have other U.S. poultry plants that are approved to ship to Russia, the suspension of the Cumming facility should not affect our overall international sales,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said in an e-mail.

Shares of Tyson, based in Springdale, Arkansas, fell 23 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $9.12 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Sanderson Farms, based in Laurel, Mississippi, dropped $1.83, or 5.3 percent, to $32.40 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Pork Plants

Russia halted imports from three other U.S. poultry facilities and nine pork plants this year, citing clerical errors on shipments, according to USDA statements. Those bans remain in effect, Eamich said.

Russia was the largest importer of U.S. chicken meat last year, according to USDA data. Russia imported 1.8 billion pounds of the meat in 2008, down 3.8 percent from 2007.

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is the top U.S. chicken producer by 2008 ready-to-cook production volume, according to WATTPoultry.com.

To contact the reporters on this story: Whitney McFerron in Chicago at wmcferron1@bloomberg.net; Choy Leng Yeong in Seattle at clyeong@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 20, 2009 16:58 EDT