The results of an academic study indicate that the proportion of Brazilian farm exports sold to China grew to almost 34 percent last year from 32 percent the year before.

The study, by the University of São Paulo Centre for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, in southeastern Brazil, found that soy remains the most important product in the bilateral trade relationship, as China bought 73 percent of Brazilian exports of soybeans last year.

The study report says an outbreak of African swine flu in China prompted buyers there to import more Brazilian meat, becoming the major destination for pork (56 percent) and beef (48 percent) and the second biggest destination for poultry (21 percent) in 2020.

China was also the major destination for Brazilian exports of cotton last year, buying over 30 percent, and 17 percent of the raw sugar, the University of São Paulo study found.