Authorities step up campaign against counterfeit seeds
DODOMA: THE government has intensified efforts to combat the sale of counterfeit seeds in the country through the use of digital verification systems, regular inspections and farmer education programmes, measures that have contributed to a significant decline in reported cases from 325 in 2014/15 to just 10 in 2023/24.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde told legislators yesterday that legal measures are being taken against the culprits across the country.
He was responding to a question raised by Japhet Hasunga (Vwawa-CCM) on behalf of Mr Onesmo Mnkondya (Mbozi-CCM), who sought to know the government’s strategy for eliminating counterfeit seeds in the country.
Mr Silinde said that under Section 15 of the Seed Act (Chapter 308, Revised Edition 2023), all seeds sold in Tanzania must be certified by the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI).
He explained that in an effort to curb the circulation of counterfeit seeds, TOSCI has introduced electronic labels for seed companies. Farmers can verify the authenticity of seeds by scratching the label and entering a unique code on their mobile phones to determine whether the seeds they have purchased are genuine.
The Deputy Minister further stated that the government, through TOSCI, has continued to conduct inspections of seed outlets across the country.
During inspections carried out between July 2025 and January 2026, at least 13 traders were found involved in the sale of counterfeit seeds or seeds that failed to meet the required quality standards.
Of those traders, one case has already been filed in court, while investigations into the remaining 12 suspects are ongoing.
Mr Silinde also said that the government has continued to educate farmers on the use of certified seeds and how to identify counterfeit products.
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Through the Mali Shambani campaign, 5,822 farmers received training, while a further 6,763 farmers accessed services through the Customer Service Centre between November 2025 and 18 January 2026.
In a supplementary question, Mr Hasunga noted that many farmers possess only basic levels of education and asked what measures were being taken to ensure they understood how to use the electronic labels introduced to tackle the problem.
He further argued that the sale of counterfeit seeds constitutes economic sabotage that undermines national development and, given that those responsible are often known, asked whether the government was prepared to impose tougher penalties, including capital punishment.
Responding, Mr Silinde said the government would continue to provide education through agricultural extension officers, who would be deployed down to village level to teach farmers how to distinguish genuine seeds from counterfeit ones.
