MEXICO CITY, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Mexicos Agricultural Minister Francisco Mayorga Castaneda said on Wednesday the country is seeking to start pork exports to China.

"China-Mexico trade is still very low. There is great interest on both sides, but we have not completely resolved some food and animal health issues," the minister said during an interview with Xinhua.

During a visit to in 2008, Mexican President Felipe Calderon signed a deal with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on duty-free export of Mexican pork into the Chinese market.

However, no pork has so far been exported because has not yet sent animal hygiene inspectors to Mexico.

Castaneda said he plans to visit at the end of this year in hope of reaching an agricultural trade agreement with .

"I believe that an (agricultural) agreement between the two governments is close, so that trade can grow," he said.

"If there is substantial progress on the technical aspects, the agreement might be signed when I visit," he added.

The minister said Mexico is also interested in exporting chicken parts to and elsewhere in Asia, citing chicken guts, claws and crests as possible exports.

He added that Mexico and have many cooperation opportunities to share knowledge, research, development and technologies in the field of agriculture.

"But both nations must start to make efforts to speed up our work so that the animal hygiene and technology sharing mechanisms can be accelerated," the minister said.