TOSCI suspends licences of three fake seed traders in Geita

GEITA: THE Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) has suspended the licences of three agriculture input dealers in Geita District after they were found selling uncertified seeds.

Head of TOSCI Lake Zone, Mr Ayub Mushema, announced the suspensions following a special operation conducted in Geita Town aimed at controlling the trade of unsafe agricultural inputs.

Mr Mushema said the operation discovered that the traders were selling seeds whose seven-month validity period had expired, rendering them unfit for use by farmers and unsuitable for sale on the market.

“At Katumbi Agrovet shop, we identified two offences. The first was selling seeds without a licence, while the second involved expired seeds” he said.

He explained Msuka Agrovet was also suspended after inspectors found it selling expired seeds while its business licence had already expired.

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“Additionally, at Ndaro Agrovet shop, we found seeds without labels and others that had exceeded their expiry date,” Mr Mushema explained. He further revealed that TOSCI investigations have uncovered cases of some companies producing seeds that do not meet the required standards, with follow-up measures already underway.

“According to the Seed Act, it is the responsibility of producers, distributors and traders to ensure that the seeds they supply remain within the valid usage period,” he said.

Senior Seed Inspector for TOSCI Lake Zone, Mr Joseph Ngura, urged farmers to carefully verify seeds before purchasing to avoid counterfeit products. He explained that buyers can confirm seed authenticity by dialling 14852# on their mobile phones and following prompts to enter the code printed on seed packages.

“Once you enter the code, it will clearly show the type of seed, its quality and its authenticity,” Mr Ngura noted.

One of the suspended agro-dealers, Mr Mawazo Mwiga, said one of the major challenges facing traders is the lack of integrity among some companies distributing fake seeds.