SAO PAULO (Reuters) - An outbreak of a deadly virus threatening pork production in China may be a boon to Brazilian and U.S. pork exporters, a top executive at Brazil-based meat processor JBS SA said on a live webcast on Tuesday.
Global Chief Executive Gilberto Tomazoni said the swine fever outbreak could change the overall landscape for protein trade, affecting not only pork markets but potentially other meat types like poultry and beef. He was answering questions from two analysts at Brazilian brokerage XP Investimentos.
"China has already significantly increased pork imports from Brazil due to the outbreak," said Tomazoni, who was appointed global chief executive of JBS earlier this month.
As China scrambles to control what he called a sanitary crisis, Brazilian and U.S. meat exporters stand to benefit, Tomazoni said.
(Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)