Itau BBA bank agricultural consultant Cesar de Castro Alves says Brazilian exports of beef to China rose in March, having fallen in the first two months of this year owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reports.

The news agency quotes Mr Castro Alves, as saying China will need to import 2.9 million tonnes of beef this year to substitute for the pork that African swine fever has prevented the country from producing.

The report quotes an analyst for consultants Agrifatto, Gustavo Machado, as saying the prices China now pays for Brazilian beef are double the prices it paid last year.

The weakening of the Brazilian real by 25 percent against the US dollar this year has made Brazilian beef cheaper in the international market, Reuters says.