Brazil soy exports are expected to remain steady in 2009 compared with 2008, the Foreign Trade Ministry said Monday (March 30).

"We expect soy exports to remain at around 24 million tonnes this year with demand from countries such as China remaining strong," Welber Barral, secretary of foreign trade at the Foreign Trade Ministry, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Brazil exported 24 million tonnes of beans worldwide in 2008.

He said that Brazil's soy exports were 1.4 million tonnes in March last year and 3.3 million tonnes in April, and that this year should be similar. The ministry is currently finalizing the data for agricultural exports in March.

"We expect soy exports will take off in April as Brazil's soy start to flood in from the harvest," he said.

Barral said that Brazil exported more beans in February 2009 compared with a year ago due to favourable forex conditions and steady prices.

Brazil is the world's No. 2 soy exporter behind the US.