Ministry of Agriculture declares phytosanitary emergency in Amapá and Pará

The Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) has declared a state of phytosanitary emergency in the states of Amapá and Pará due to the risk of an outbreak of the quarantine pest Rhizoctonia theobromae (Ceratobasidium theobromae). The measure, made official by Ordinance No. 769 published today (30/1), will be valid for one year and seeks to reinforce prevention and contain the spread of the pathogen.

The decision was made after the detection of the pest, known as cassava “witch's broom”, in plantations on indigenous lands in Oiapoque, Amapá, in August 2024. The disease can cause severe impacts on agricultural production, generating significant economic losses.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, highlighted that the measure will allow greater agility in the adoption of actions to eradicate and control the pest at federal and state levels.

Fungus impact

Rhizoctonia theobromae is a basidiomycete that has a wide host range, including economically important crops such as cocoa and cassava.

This is an absent quarantine fungus, that is, it was not registered in Brazil until its recent detection. The disease it causes in cassava causes symptoms such as dry and deformed branches, dwarfism, proliferation of weak and thin shoots, as well as chlorosis, wilting and death of the plant's shoots.

Dispersal can occur through infected plant material, contaminated tools, and the movement of soil and water. The marketing and transport of plants between regions also pose risks for the spread of the pathogen.

Containment actions

On Wednesday (29/1), Minister Carlos Fávaro met with the Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira, as well as representatives from Embrapa and technical teams to discuss phytosanitary defense strategies.

According to Fávaro, Brazil has one of the most advanced agricultural defense systems in the world and will act quickly and rigorously to contain the plague.

Since the official confirmation of the presence of the pathogen, teams from Mapa, Embrapa, the Amapá Agricultural Defense and Inspection Agency (Diagro) and the Amapá Institute of Extension, Assistance and Rural Development (Rurap) have been carrying out a sweep of the region. The actions include identifying new outbreaks and adopting containment measures.