THE Sarawak government, through its Department of Agriculture, will continue its ban on cultivating guarana (Paullinia cupana), a plant native to Brazil.
This measure aims to protect Malaysia’s RM18 billion rubber industry, which could be jeopardised by South American Leaf Blight (SALB), a disease that has devastated rubber plantations in Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
“Guarana, a herb originating from Venezuela and northern Brazil, is restricted under the Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981 (Regulation 7), prohibiting the import of plants from SALB-endemic countries, including Brazil,” said Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Datuk Martin Ben.
He was responding to Datuk Paulus Palu Gumbang’s (GPS-Batu Danau) query on guarana cultivation in Sarawak, On Wednesday (Nov 13).
Martin added that cultivating the plant also risks introducing other diseases, such as Colletotrichum guaranicola, which affects not only guarana but also crops like papaya, banana, mango, and chili.
“Current information on C. guaranicola is limited, making it challenging to control if introduced to Malaysia,” he said.
Under the Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167) and Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981, importing plants and plant products from the American Tropics or SALB-affected areas is strictly prohibited, except for research purposes.
This restriction remains in place as companies importing guarana to Malaysia have yet to confirm compliance with Brazilian Law No.13, 123/15, which regulates access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.
Martin also said prohibited plants and articles may be seized, detained, and destroyed, with offenders facing fines of up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both, under Section 19A of Act 167.
He said the Sarawak Department of Agriculture has also made media announcements and website updates reiterating the prohibition of guarana cultivation.
