Tanzania's official seed verification authority has issued warnings against vendors supplying substandard agricultural products to farmers. TOSCI Director General Nyasebwa Chimagu stated the organization will pursue legal action against individuals deceiving growers or distributing uncertified materials, emphasizing that regional and district commissioners, alongside agricultural officers, serve as authorized inspectors monitoring compliance across retail outlets, manufacturing facilities and storage centers.
The institute oversees quality assurance through laboratory testing before seeds reach commercial distribution, with farmers risking crop failures from pest and disease susceptibility when purchasing unverified varieties. TOSCI is implementing a 3.6 billion shilling initiative to construct modern testing laboratories in Mtwara, Tabora and Mwanza to expand verification capacity.
Director of Evaluation and Trials Matengia Swai explained that new seed varieties undergo distinctiveness and performance trials before inclusion in the national catalogue, with samples archived for future market assessments. All producers must register with TOSCI to enable production capacity monitoring and seasonal availability tracking.
The institute oversees quality assurance through laboratory testing before seeds reach commercial distribution, with farmers risking crop failures from pest and disease susceptibility when purchasing unverified varieties. TOSCI is implementing a 3.6 billion shilling initiative to construct modern testing laboratories in Mtwara, Tabora and Mwanza to expand verification capacity.
Director of Evaluation and Trials Matengia Swai explained that new seed varieties undergo distinctiveness and performance trials before inclusion in the national catalogue, with samples archived for future market assessments. All producers must register with TOSCI to enable production capacity monitoring and seasonal availability tracking.
