Accroding to Reuters, Brazilian food processors are poised to boost pork and chicken exports in 2020 as Chinese demand for imports remains strong while the Asian country deals with severe disruptions in local production, an industry group said on Thursday.

ABPA  which represents pork and poultry producers forecasts Brazil's 2020 pork exports may grow by at least 15% next year to 850,000 tonnes. This year exports are estimated to have jumped 14.5% to a projected 740,000 tonnes driven by sales to China, Hong Kong and rising shipments to Russia, Chile and Vietnam.

Projected Brazilian chicken exports could grow to as much as 4.5 million tonnes next year, a 7% rise from the upper range of 2019 export projections of 4.2 million tonnes, ABPA said.

The potential rise of Brazil's meat trade underscores the lasting effects of the sanitary problem in China, which is the world's largest producer of pork with annual output of about 54 million tonnes.

The deadly pig disease in China has reduced domestic pork production by an estimated 13 million tonnes in 2019, affecting global supplies and trade in all proteins, according to ABPA.

The Asian nation will need around five years to restore internal pork supplies after the outbreak of the disease, which is harmless to humans but fatal to the animals, ABPA said.

Between January and November, Brazil increased pork exports to China by 51% to 218,000 tonnes, according to ABPA data. Chicken exports to China rose by 28% to 513,000 tonnes over the period, it said.

Source: Reuters