JINAN, March 22 (Xinhua) -- China's eastern Shandong province has resumed supplying frozen poultry to Russia, after the outbreak of avian influenza in 2004 prevented Chinese frozen poultry from accessing the Russian market, the customs office of the capital city Jinan announced.

The move followed the protocols on veterinary and phytosanitary requirements for the supply of frozen poultry meat and dairy products between China and Russia signed in 2018.

As of March 21, 15 Shandong-based enterprises licensed to export frozen poultry to Russia have been listed on the official website of Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia, customs authorities said on Thursday.

As China's major livestock production province, Shandong exported 40,840 tons of frozen poultry in 2018, ranking first in the country and accounting for one-sixth of the nation's total.

A major frozen poultry producer in the province said the regaining of access helps it to upgrade the export structure, which has focused on processed poultry for the past 15 years.