By Ana Mano

SAO PAULO, Jan 24 (Reuters) - China's suspension earlier this month of Brazilian soybean exports from five companies after cargoes did not meet plant health requirements will last two months, a top Brazilian agriculture official told Reuters on Friday.

Brazil is the top soybean exporter to China, which is the world's top importer. Brazilian farmers and exporters compete with counterparts in the United States for the Chinese market.

China suspended imports from the five companies on Jan. 8 and Jan. 14 after cargoes failed to meet Chinese import standards. The five suspended units are part of operations that accounted for more than 30% of the more than 73 million metric tons of soybeans that Brazil exported to China in 2024. However, other units of the same companies have not been suspended.

The agriculture ministry is investigating the issue and would send clarifications to China in due course, Luis Rua, agriculture ministry's commerce and international relations secretary, told Reuters on Friday.

Rua was unaware of the number of cargoes involved, or their origin, but said only a small volume was involved.

The five units were only a fraction of the 1,700 Brazilian outfits authorized to export soybeans to China, he said.

Brazilian soybean exports are due to surge over the coming weeks as more of the harvested crop is moved to market. Brazil sells about three-quarters of its soy exports to China.

The companies affected by the suspensions had a meeting with government officials in Brasilia on Thursday, according to Anec, a Brazilian association representing global grain traders. Anec declined to name the companies or give more details.

The five companies with units suspended were global merchants Cargill, ADM ADM.N and Olam OLAG.SI, and Brazilian outfits C.Vale and Terra Roxa. Cargill and ADM gave no immediate comment on the meeting. Terra Roxa declined to comment.

The temporary suspension affected only one of C.Vale's units, a C.Vale spokesman said, adding that other units could continue exporting.

The soybeans were likely exported from the port of Paranagua given the shippers involved, one grain trader said.

The Paranagua port authority said it had not received any official communication indicating that any ship that has departed from Paranagua was under suspicion in Chinese ports.

(Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Simon Webb and Marguerita Choy)

((ana.mano@thomsonreuters.com; Tel: +55-11-5644-7704; Mob: +55-119-4470-4529; Reuters Messaging: ana.mano.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))