Participants in public hearings on a proposed East African Community (EAC) seed law called for stronger protection of farmer-developed seeds, indigenous and traditional plant varieties, as well as clearer regulatory mandates and flexible rules for testing new crops. The proposals were made during public hearings held in Kigali on August 28 by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources to gather views on the EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025. ALSO READ: EALA pledges support to regional farmers The hearings brought together representatives from ministries and regulatory agencies, National Seed Authorities, research institutions, plant breeders, seed companies, farmers’ organizations, private-sector associations, civil society, academia, and youth and women in agribusiness. Participants said the bill should recognise farmer-developed and traditional varieties while safeguarding innovation and investment in plant breeding. They also called for a review of the definition of a “breeder” to recognise active breeding and ensure that local genetic resources are protected against biopiracy. ALSO READ: EAC partner states divided over GMO adoption – report The bill seeks to harmonise seed certification, plant variety evaluation and registration, quality assurance and marketing across EAC Partner States. A common framework is expected to reduce duplication, facilitate cross-border seed trade and improve farmers’ access to quality seed. Calls for flexible testing rules Participants also proposed greater flexibility in the proposed requirement for new plant varieties to undergo two seasons of testing for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability (DUS), as well as value for cultivation and use (VCU). ALSO READ: Parliament passes bill to modernise agriculture They recommended that detailed testing procedures, including the definition of a “season”, be provided for in implementing regulations rather than rigidly prescribed in the law. Such flexibility, they said, would allow the framework to accommodate perennial crops, changing climatic conditions and controlled-environment agriculture. The hearings also raised concerns about the division of responsibilities between National Seed Authorities and National Plant Variety Release Committees. The participants called for clearly defined mandates and greater use of existing institutions to avoid overlapping responsibilities and unnecessary regulatory burdens. They also urged stronger coordination between agriculture and environment authorities. Wider participation, clearer scope The proposed legislation should also clarify how forestry and agroforestry species will be treated in relation to existing environmental and forestry laws, participants said. They further called for formal mechanisms to involve farmers, indigenous communities, civil society and private sector actors in the implementation and oversight of the regional seed framework. Participants urged EALA to ensure that the bill is consistent with the EAC Treaty, the EAC Common Market Protocol, the Arusha Protocol on the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and other applicable regional and international instruments. They also said the framework should take into account relevant instruments and approaches under the African Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). MP Caroline Rwivanga Kayonga, chairperson of the EALA Subcommittee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources, said the views gathered during the consultations would inform the committee’s consideration of the Bill. “We do not draft laws in isolation. We draft them with the people and for the people of East Africa,” she said. The committee will analyse written and oral submissions from the hearings and incorporate relevant recommendations into its report on the bill. Key areas for further consideration include institutional coordination, stakeholder participation, flexible and scientifically sound testing procedures, protection of traditional and farmer-developed varieties, and the Bill’s application to agroforestry species. The committee will also consider the need for timely implementing regulations and support for EAC Partner States with limited institutional capacity. If adopted and effectively implemented, the proposed law would establish a harmonised regional framework for seed certification, variety registration and the movement of seed across EAC Partner States.
