SANTOS, April 10 (Reuters) - The Brazilian Agriculture

Ministry sent documentation last Monday relative to soybean

cargoes halted by China over plant health issues in January, an

official said on Thursday.

Hugo Caruso, vegetable products inspections director at the

ministry, told Reuters on Thursday that the ministry had been

gathering information on the origin of the grains from the

concerned firms before providing detailed explanations to

Beijing.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event hosted jointly by the

Santos Trade Association and grains exporter group Anec, Caruso

said the Brazilian government cannot predict what China's

response is going to be, nor when it will come.

Brazil is the world's largest soybean producer and exporter.

China, the largest importer, is expected to turn to the South

American nation for additional supplies amid the trade war with

the United States.

Terra Roxa Comercio de Cereais, Olam Brasil, C.Vale

Cooperativa Agroindustrial, and U.S. grain traders Cargill and

ADM were affected by the January suspensions, which only

concerned small batches of soybeans, according to the Brazilian

government at the time.

Even though specific units of the affected companies remain

suspended by China, other suppliers belonging to the same

traders have been able to continue soy shipments to China,

Caruso said.