An association of meat producers in Brazil, ABPA, says the country exported 115,400 tonnes of chicken to China in the first two months of this year, 59 percent more than in the corresponding period last year, the Poultry World website reports.

The website says the fall in meat output in China due to African swine fever remains an opportunity for Brazilian producers to sell chicken there.

Demand in China for Brazilian chicken was surprisingly increased rather than decreased by the Lunar New Year holidays there, the Poultry World website quotes ABPA President Francisco Turra as saying.

In a separate report, Reuters news agency quotes ABPA Executive Director Ricardo Santin as saying he expects the amount of pork and poultry Brazil exports to China this month to be roughly the same as a year ago.