First outbreak of cassava witch's broom confirmed in Pará

The Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) has confirmed the first outbreak of cassava witch's broom in the state of Pará. The case was identified on May 15, in an indigenous area of ​​Tumucumaque Park, in the far north of Almeirim, on the border with Suriname.

The findings were made after an inspection carried out on April 28 by state technicians. Following a complaint, the professionals visited Aldeia Bona, where they collected samples of plants with suspicious symptoms. Tests at the Federal Laboratory of Agricultural Defense of Goiás confirmed the presence of the fungus. Ceratobasidium theobromae.

The affected area is difficult to access. It can only be reached by chartered flights. The outbreak is located far from the commercial cassava-producing regions of Pará.

The Pará State Agricultural Defense Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) monitor the state through phytosanitary surveys. So far, there have been no reports of the disease in commercial crops, nor have any contaminated material been seized at inspection checkpoints in northern Pará.

The disease is not related to the witch's broom disease of the cocoa tree. The fungus does not pose a risk to human health, but it causes serious damage to plantations. It causes deformations, wilting, chlorosis, and death of leaves and plants. It spreads through plant material, tools, soil, and water. Embrapa Amapá detected the first case in 2024, in indigenous lands of Oiapoque.