2.Tanzania Policy regime on seeds and policy related to
research on seeds
During the colonial era, the focus of agricultural research in Tanzania was on the major export crops: coffee, cotton, sisal, tea and
tobacco. After getting independence, the focus of agricultural research was directed to food crops and livestock produced by
smallholder farmers. Networks of publicly funded research stations and substations were established in the major agro-ecological
zones under the Department of Research of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD). Research on certain
commodities and disciplines such as maize, sorghum and millet, sugarcane and animal diseases was undertaken at a regional level
by the East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organization (EAFRO) of the defunct East African Community (EAC) till 1977.
In 1983 the first National Agricultural policy was developed. This was followed by the Agricultural and Livestock policy of 1997
which also mandated the encouragement and facilitation of national and local seed production, conditioning and marketing. The
role of indigenous knowledge in seed management is also given emphasis. After inception of the 1997 policy; the production of
quality declared seeds (QDS) at the farm level was initiated.
Liberalization of output markets was followed by revisions to the Seed Act to harmonize it with the new policy approach. The
Tanzanian law allows and encourages seed to be produced at village level under what is termed Quality Declared Seed (QDS).
Under the QDS system, the village community selects farmers to produce seeds of various crops to be sold to other farmers at
affordable prices. The QDS system approach appears encouraging as it has resulted in lowering seed prices to farmers.
Plant Protection Act was put in place in 2001 with an objective of providing for the protection of new plant varieties in order to
promote plant breeding activities that will stimulate, facilitate and improve agricultural research in the country, through the grant
and regulations of plant breeder’s rights and the establishment of a plant breeder’s rights registry, which is entrusted with the
obligations of granting plant breeders rights.
As a result of partnership and consultation between the public and private sectors, Tanzania boasts of a well-defined seed industry
with all necessary legal and institutional frameworks in place. The country has two legislations which ensure production and supply
of quality seeds to farmers. They are the Seed Act of 2003 and the Seeds Regulations of 2007 which govern seed production and
trade related issues and the Plant Protection Act of 1997 which governs plant quarantine or phytosanitary issues.
Under the Seed legislation, a regulatory framework for control of the quality of seed produced, imported, exported and used by
the farmers in Tanzania is provided. The law provides for a compulsory seed certification, laboratory seed testing, variety
evaluation and registration under the control of the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI). The Institute is also
responsible for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) testing and the National Performance Trials (NPT) which are necessary
tests for variety release and registration. Under the system, locally bred varieties are tested for three years/seasons before being
released for commercialization. Varieties released in other Eastern African countries whose seed systems are harmonized with that
of Tanzania, need only one season of verification before being registered. The legislation also recognizes other regional harmonized
seed systems, including the East African and quality declared seeds (QDS)) regional systems.
This Tanzanian law is considered reasonable enough to achieve its ambitious targets on quality seed production and supply.
However it is becoming more and clearer that the informal seed system is not taken care by these policies sufficiently.
Components and key participants in Tanzania’s seed system.
•Local variety breeding
This is done in the 12 Agricultural Research Institutions (ARIs). The ARIs are zonal and focus on crops and issues
relevant to their particular agro-ecologies. The extent of actual breeding work taking place varies between research
institutions. There is also an active bean research program at Sokoine University.
• Seed certification
New varieties are then submitted to the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institution which has its
headquarters located in Morogoro for DUS tests and then for NPTs (for two years).
• Production, processing, regulation and distribution of foundation seed
The five government foundation seed farms which are Arusha, Mwele, Dabaga, Kilangali, Msimba and horticultural sites
at HORT Tengeru and Dabaga (see annex 1 for locations) are then responsible for the production, processing and
distribution of foundation (basic) seed – using breeder seed supplied by the ARIs. The seed farms have recently been
transferred to the Tanzanian Seed Agency. TOSCI carries outs inspection of foundation seed production. B reeders in
ARIs also produce foundation seed.
Production and processing of certified seed is carried out by a mixture of public and private sector institutions.
Private companies produce local hybrid and OPV varieties of maize; oil crops (sunflower and sesame), sorghum and
legumes (including mainly beans and vegetables). The majority of private sector seed production is carried out
by contract farmers and then the processing is then done manually or with limited mechanization by the seed
company. Certified seed for other crops (e.g. millet, rice, cow peas) as well as more commercial crops are produced by
the government seed farms. Some certified seed production is also carried out by registered farmers using Quality
Declared System (QDS). Production levels are relatively low.
• TOSCI carries out quality assurance of certified seeds through both field inspection (for isolation and
characteristics) and sampling (for purity and germination).
· Marketing and Promotion
Private seed companies are free to directly distribute and market their seed in well labeled branded bags through
stockists or farmers going directly to the foundation seed farms, or NGO involvement. Distribution of seed and other
inputs is mainly by private agro-dealers (around 90% of all inputs in Tanzania).
The Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives is reviewing the seed act and expectations are that weaknesses and
needs for improvement mentioned in this study will be addressed.
2.1 Private Sector Participation and Role of TASTA
As a result of the new seed policy, the number of private companies doing seed business in Tanzania has been growing every
year. For example, in 2005 there were less than 16 companies and today there are more than 55 companies and enterprises
doing seed business (see Annex 2 of this report). There are companies that deal with both local production and importation of
seeds of major food crops as well as horticultural crops. The majority of the companies doing seed business are members of the
Tanzania Seed Trade Association (TASTA), formed in 2002 which is headed by Mr Bob Shuma from the Private Sector and is the
Executive Secretary.
