Brazilian beef exports rose by 9.84% in January driven by a surge in sales to China, which faces fallout from a deadly disease that decimated a major portion of its pig population and boosted demand for other meats, trade group Abiec said on Wednesday.

Brazil's beef exports totaled 135,375 tonnes in the first month of the year, generating sales of $633.25 million, Abiec said. "This is a positive result and in line with our growth estimates for this year," Antônio Camardelli, president of Abiec, said in a statement.

Shipments to China alone were 53,200 tonnes, an increase of 126% over the same period last year, Abiec said. This translated into sales of $322.8 million, a 200% rise from January 2019. Brazilian companies stand to benefit as food exporters to China because Brazil is a safe source of meat, never having had a case of bird flu or African swine fever, said ABPA, an association representing poultry and pork processors.