Tanzania tightens noose on dealers of fake seeds

DODOMA: THE Tanzanian government is in a process to draft a law that will tighten regulations on the sale of counterfeit seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, a move that aims to curb the sale and distribution of fake seeds in the country

The Minister for Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, said that, under the proposed law, offenders will be charged with economic sabotage starting from the next farming season.

The Minister made the statement while officiating the National Stakeholders’ Meeting for the Agriculture Sector held yesterday, May 15, 2025,  in Dodoma.

He said the current law lacks teeth to effectively punish those found selling fake seeds, as the fines imposed are far less than the damage they cause to society.

He added that anyone who sells fake seeds to farmers deserves to be prosecuted, but the current law only imposes fines ranging from 500,000/- to 1,000,000/-, which is not proportionate to the seriousness of the offense.

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Bashe also urged all seed sellers and distributors in the country to act with honesty and ensure that they only sell and distribute quality, certified seeds that bear the official mark of the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), to support productive farming.

He further stated that the government is building a major gene bank for indigenous agricultural seeds, and that a tender has already been announced, with other procedures ongoing.

He said the aim is to reduce reliance on importing seeds from abroad.

In addition, Minister Bashe gave TOSCI a five-day deadline to register indigenous seed varieties and release them into the market to give farmers a wider range of choices.

He said the exercise must be completed before the Ministry presents its 2025/2026 budget in the ongoing Parliamentary session.