Brazil has reached an agreement to allow exports of chicken to Algeria, Reuters reported, citing the South American country's agriculture ministry on Thursday, in a deal that widens the presence of Brazilian poultry in Muslim-majority halal markets.

Brazil and the North African country concluded negotiations to open up the Algerian market to Brazilian chicken after reviewing certifications and establishing health and safety requirements, the ministry said in a statement.

ABPA, Brazil's industry group for chicken and pork processors, welcomed the news, saying Algeria, a country of 44 million people, had until now been a closed market to chicken imports.

Brazil is the world's largest poultry exporter and a top supplier of halal chicken, shipping annually about 2 million metric tons to the Arab world, according to ABPA data.

Halal meats come from animals slaughtered by a specific method prescribed by Islamic law.

"We're going to focus our strategy on complementing local demand for products," said ABPA's president Ricardo Santin in a statement.

"Brazil has solid know-how in halal chicken meat exports and will be able to meet the demands of this market," he added.

Earlier this year, the country reported its first-ever cases of avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, but nonetheless remains technically free of the disease as there have been no detections on commercial farms.