Ministry of Agriculture data for the 2023/2024 season show 78.6–81% of seed used in Tanzania was produced locally, most of it from smallholder and informal seed systems. Formal use of improved certified seed remains low, while networks and organizations push for indigenous and organic seed adoption.
About 71,356 tonnes of seed—roughly 78.6–81% of the national total for 2023/24—were produced domestically, reducing imports to about 19–21.4%.
Certified improved seed adoption is still limited: a 2011 ASDP report estimated only 19.5% of households used improved certified seed, while 78–90% relied on indigenous or traditional seed.
# What happened
Tanzania's Ministry of Agriculture reported a major shift in the source of seed used during the 2023/2024 season. Domestic production supplied roughly 78.6–81% of seed needs — about 71,356 tonnes — while imports declined to roughly 19–21.4%.
# Who supplies the domestic seed
# Certified seed adoption remains low
Past sector reporting (ASDP, 2011) showed limited uptake of certified improved seed: about 19.5% of households used certified seed, with the majority (around 78–90%) continuing to use indigenous or traditional seed varieties. That pattern persists alongside rising domestic production.
# Who is promoting indigenous and organic seeds
A group of civil-society organisations and networks are active in promoting locally adapted and organic seed systems. Named organizations include:
At the continental level, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) works across countries to advocate for agroecology, farmers' seed rights, and directing climate finance to smallholder farmers.
# Practical results and market links
The push toward indigenous and organic seed systems is already producing examples of farm and business outcomes in the report. Reported cases include:
# Policy and advocacy angles
The networks highlighted in the report advocate for:
# Implications for food security and resilience
Higher domestic seed production lowers exposure to international seed supply disruptions. The prominence of locally adapted varieties and farmer-saved seed contributes traits such as pest resilience and adaptation to local climates. At the same time, low formal adoption of certified improved seed points to a mixed seed landscape where formal and informal systems coexist.
# What to watch next
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Tanzania says efforts to establish a common regional seed market could undermine smallholder farmers' rights, indigenous seed varieties and traditional seed-sharing systems.
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The new specialized practice aims to tackle the complex mix of weather hazards, product recalls and supply chain disruptions
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