Brazil poultry exports to surge 10 percent on Chinese market

Brazil's chicken exports could grow 10 percent after China approved 22 slaughterhouses for shipments.

The opening of the Chinese market would boost Brazilian chicken exports considerably, said Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes on Thursday (May 28).

Foreign sales of chicken meat are seen to grow five percent this year, and 10 percent in 2010.

China is a market worth nearly US$1 billion per year, said Celio Porto, secretary of Foreign Relatons for Agribusiness.

Brazil exported about 3.4 million tonnes of chicken meat worth US$6.3 billion in 2008.

This year up until the beginning of May, Brazil had shipped 1.1 million tonnes of chicken meat worth US$1.5 billion.