Brazilian exporter of beef Marfrig Global Foods SA intends to take on 400 more workers so it can increase the output of one of its slaughterhouses to meet demand in China, Reuters reports.

The news agency, citing a written announcement issued by Marfrig on Friday, says the new employees will work at the Promissão slaughterhouse in the southern Brazilian state of São Paulo, one of five Marfrig slaughterhouses in Brazil permitted to export meat to China.

Marfrig has four slaughterhouses in Uruguay and two in Argentina that are also permitted to export to China, Reuters says.

Last week Reuters reported that the Chinese authorities had permitted another 25 Brazilian slaughterhouses to export their output to China, including 17 that produce beef, six that produce poultry flesh, one that produces pork and one that produces donkey meat.