Brazil’s largest pork exporter, cooperative Aurora, is expanding capacity as it bets on rising demand from Asia, underscoring the growing importance of the protein in global meat markets.

The group, Cooperativa Central Aurora Alimentos, on Tuesday is inaugurating an expanded plant in Mato Grosso do Sul plant, increasing slaughter capacity there by 60% to 5,000 animals a day. Construction to raise output in another plant in Santa Catarina is expected to begin later this year, Chairman Neivor Canton said in an interview.