The boss of a Brazilian food processor thinks the outbreak of African swine fever in China may give his country a chance to sell the Chinese between 200,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes more pork each year, Reuters reports.

The news agency quotes BRF Chief Executive Pedro Parente as saying during a conference that it all depends on China accepting pork from slaughterhouses in Brazilian states other than southern Santa Catarina.

Mr Parente said African swine flu in China, first reported in August 2018, would increase demand there for foreign meat.

“If Chinese production were to fall by 10 percent, which is a conservative estimate, this would mean the country would need an additional 5.5 million tonnes to meet current demand for pork,” he said.

Of the pork Brazil exported last year, 24 percent or 154,500 tonnes went to China, 216 percent more than the year before, Reuters says.