Kota Kinabalu: Guarana, a high-value plant originating from Brazil, could help alleviate poverty among rural residents in Sabah if it is allowed to be cultivated as a new commodity.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, said this is due to the market value of the plant’s seeds (scientific name Paullinia cupana) reaching RM60 per kilogram, with each tree estimated to produce up to 40 kilograms annually.
He said that this plant, which has pharmaceutical value, is still prohibited from being grown for commercial purposes in this country due to two main issues constraining efforts to expand its cultivation in Malaysia.
“First is related to Brazilian law and the country’s claims on access to the plant’s genetic resources according to the Nagoya Protocol. Second, it is associated with the danger of planting Guarana to other crops, especially rubber, because there is a fungus that can damage other crops, particularly rubber,” he said.
“However, until now there has been no answer regarding the claim that Guarana can damage other crops, especially rubber, which is our important commodity.
It is also possible that this claim is just propaganda to prevent us from planting Guarana,” he said at the Borneo International Guarana Conference (BIG C) 2024, at Hilton Hotel, here, on Tuesday.
Jeffrey, who is also the State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry, said that although Guarana originates from Brazil, the plant has been grown in the Peninsula for seven generations and studies show no danger brought by the plant.
In addition, he said there are also findings showing that the plant has also become a native species in Borneo and has been in Sabah for 30 years, planted in Lagud Sebrang, Tenom.
“I have learned that Guarana is also in Borneo as an ‘indigenous’ species and in Sarawak it is called ‘kasai’ fruit,” he said.
As a result, he said there are no issues preventing efforts to advance Guarana cultivation, especially in Sabah, given that it is already in this state.
He said the issue of Brazil’s claim to the plant also does not arise because the seeds that will be used to develop the crop are already available in Sabah.
However, he said both of these obstacles need to be clearly answered at the two-day BIG C 2024 conference organised by Cupana Holding Sdn Bhd in collaboration with Koperasi Star Sabah Berhad and Azman Hashim International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
“This crop can help address poverty, especially in rural areas. So we need to get answers to these two problems. After that, I will bring this matter to the State Cabinet and brief the ministers in two weeks so that we can make a decision. This is necessary so that it is not left hanging, while others are already profiting from Guarana, I want to plant it too,” he said.
He said strong evidence is needed to ensure that the claim that Guarana can damage rubber plantations, which are currently an important commodity in Sabah, is not true.
Guarana contains high caffeine and is used, among other things, in energy drinks, as well as herbal ingredients for medicinal purposes.
