Uganda Country Report 2020

The timely availability of improved seeds at affordable prices is critical to improving food security, resilience, and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Uganda. Seed of improved varieties can deliver state-of-the-art technology to farmers including higher yields, disease and pest resistance, climate change adaptation, and improved nutrition. This report summarizes the key findings of the study conducted by The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) to appraise the structure and economic performance of Uganda’s formal seed sector. With a focus on the four grain and legume crops important to national food and nutritional security (maize, bean, millet, and sorghum) the report covers 22 key performance indicators divided into five categories: Research and Development, Industry Competitiveness, Seed Policy and Regulations, Institutional Support, and Service to Smallholder Farmers. We conclude that Uganda’s formal seed sector closely resembles the growth stage of development, characterized by well-established private companies that are supported by strong breeding programs, a policy environment that is supportive of private-sector participation, a highly competitive market with multinational and local seed companies producing a wide range of high-quality seed, and a strong agro-dealer network serving seed companies. Such positive developments are tempered by a few challenges. One is that Uganda’s National Variety Catalogue is not regularly updated and is not publicly available, which means that the information is not accessible to interested seed companies and farmers. The variety release and registration processes would be made more efficient through regular meetings of the committee, the standardization of test costs, and the digitization of processes. The government agricultural inputs subsidy program the Operation Wealth Creation has catalyzed the production of certified seed and its uptake by farmers. However, there is a need to make the production requirements more predictable and the payments more timely. In addition to these highlights, the report discusses many positive developments as well as areas for improvement in Uganda’s formal seed sector