BUENOS AIRES, May 5 -- Argentina will sell China alfalfa as a step to expand cooperation between the two strategic partners, Argentina's Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday.

The news was announced by Gabriel Delgado, secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishing, who met senior officials from China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and state food company COFCO Corp. a few days ago in Beijing.

The agreement to supply alfalfa "will position Argentina among the select group of nations that in 2014 sold 1 million tons of this product to China for nearly 400 million U.S. dollars," Delgado said, adding that authorities estimate "there is demand for another million tons (of alfalfa) that has not been met."

Argentina is a longstanding producer of pasture crop for feeding animals, and it has the available land and water to expand its alfalfa crop in response to the strong demand from China and Middle Eastern countries, he said.

High-protein alfalfa is primarily used as feed for dairy cows, beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats.

China and Argentina have stepped up economic, trade, social and cultural cooperation recently, especially in exporting farm products such as honey and meat to the Asian giant.

Two-way trade between the two countries was almost 15 billion dollars in 2013, according to China's official statistics.