Uganda

Last updated: March 2019
  • Region Eastern and Southern Africa
  • Participation in OECD Seed Schemes Yes
  • ISTA accredited member laboratories Yes
  • GM Crop Approval for cultivation None
  • Law on Plant Variety Protection Yes, The Plant Variety Protection Act, 2014
Seed sector in Uganda

The Ugandan government is responsible for developing research capacity, while the private sector carries out seed production, seed conditioning and marketing. The government also heads up the creation of an enabling environment and oversees regulations.

The National Agricultural System Act (2005), Seeds and Plant Act (2006) and Plant Variety Protection Act (2014) are in place and operational. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, through the Directorate of Crop Production, is the official focal point mandated to regulate the seed industry, with the National Seed Certification Services responsible for seed certification.

The Seeds and Plant Act is the principal legislation for the seed industry. The government regulates the official release of new varieties, licensing and oversight of seed merchant activities, especially regulating importing/exporting seeds, quality assurance in seed production, seed conditioning and local seed trade, and overall regulatory framework implementation.

Local seed companies have basic and certified seed production activities on-farm or with seed growers. Major seed selling outlets are facilitated by the government, agro-dealer distribution networks and non-governmental organizations operating in the region.

To ensure safe development and application of biotechnology in Uganda, the parliament recently passed the Genetic Engineering Regulatory Bill 2018.

Observations

There are 21 index companies in Uganda, four of which (Equator Seeds, FICA Seeds, NASECO and Victoria Seeds) are headquartered in the country. Only FICA Seeds and East African Seed have the complete seed value chain in Uganda. Equator Seeds and Victoria Seeds lack breeding locations.

Five companies produce seeds in the country, and four of these involve smallholder farmers in their activities. Three companies have breeding locations, and five have processing locations in the country.

Seed production, breeding and processing are carried out by the companies headquartered in the region. No globally active companies carry out these activities in the country.

Nine companies provide extension services in Uganda, and these are predominantly regional companies. Bejo and East-West Seed are the only globally active companies to do so.

Index company activities identified in Uganda
Company Crops in portfolio Company activities in country
Companies selected for
the Access to Seeds Index
Field
crops
Vegetables Breeding
location
Testing
location
Seed
production
Processing
location
Sales Extension
services
Advanta
Bayer
Bejo
Corteva Agriscience
East African Seed  *
East-West Seed
Enza Zaden
Equator Seeds  **  *
FICA Seeds  **  *
Kenya Highland Seed
Kenya Seed Company
Known You Seed
Limagrain
NASECO  **
Pop Vriend Seeds
Rijk Zwaan
Sakata
Seed Co
Syngenta
Victoria Seeds  **  *
  • * Company involves smallholder farmers in seed production activities
  • ** Company headquartered in Uganda

Other index companies are also active in the country. However, country-specific information for these companies is not available or was provided under non-disclosure.

Other companies identified in the regional landscaping study and their activities

Company Crops in portfolio Company activities in country
Field
crops
Vegetable
crops
Breeding
location
Seed
production
Sales
Pearl Seeds