Tanzania has developed a national strategy to modernize its seed sector, improve access to quality seed and increase private sector investment in agricultural production.
The Tanzania Seed Sector Development Strategy was developed by the Government of Tanzania with support from the CGIAR Initiative on Ukama Ustawi and USAID through the ASPIRES program. The strategy addresses longstanding challenges including limited access to improved varieties, fragmented regulation and low private sector participation.
Fewer than one-third of Tanzania's smallholder farmers currently use improved seed, increasing their vulnerability to climate-related shocks. The strategy establishes a coordinated framework for strengthening research, seed production, quality assurance and distribution while clarifying public and private sector roles.
The Ministry of Agriculture led development of the strategy with CGIAR centers through a co-design process involving more than 150 stakeholders from public agencies, private seed companies and farmer organizations. Political economy mapping, institutional analysis and market system mapping were used to identify systemic bottlenecks in the seed sector.
The strategy establishes the Ministry of Agriculture as the lead coordinating body and calls for stronger roles for the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, the Agricultural Seed Agency and the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute. The changes are intended to streamline variety release, quality assurance and seed certification.
The strategy also emphasizes public-private partnerships to encourage investment in seed production, distribution infrastructure and last-mile delivery. Its targets for 2030 include doubling the area planted with improved seed from 3 million to 6 million hectares and quadrupling the number of agro-dealers from 3,000 to 12,000.
Financial support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade contributed to the strategy's design phase. The framework aligns approximately $300 million in potential investment to support development of a competitive and sustainable seed market.
The strategy also focuses on improving foundation seed supplies, strengthening regulatory effectiveness and enhancing regional policy alignment. Its implementation is intended to expand smallholder farmers' access to high-yielding, climate-adapted seed and support food security and rural economic development.
Source: CGIAR, "Building Climate-Resilient Agriculture through the Tanzania Seed Sector Development Strategy"