Seven pork plants in Brazil's southern state of Santa Catarina have been approved to export pork parts to China, following Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro's official visit to the Asian country in late October.
The first shipments were authorized by Chinese authorities, said Brazil's Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias on Twitter. Details on the seven plants were not disclosed. Santa Catarina is Brazil's top pork producing state.
China's authorization comes amid the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the country, which could lead to an up to 41pc reduction in the national pig herd, according to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Mara).
In September, China authorized another Brazilian pork plant to export.
Brazil is expected to boost pork exports by 12pc this year to 720,000 metric tonnes (t), partially shadowing China's demand to make up for its reduced herd.
Between January-October, Brazil's total pork exports reached nearly 512,000t, up from the 450,000t in the same period last year, according to the latest trade ministry data.
