The Political Economy of Seed Reform in Uganda : Promoting a Regional Seed Trade Market

This report provides a short summary of
the recent history of the seed industry. Although the
informal seed system still accounts for an estimated 85
percent of planted seed, the formal sector has been
transformed in 20 years from control by a monopoly
parastatal to competition among 23 registered companies,
with at least 5 or 6 being serious players. Significantly,
the relief seed industry that dominated and distorted the
formal seed trade during the Northern Uganda conflict has
withered away, leaving room for a sustainable, market-driven
seed industry to develop. Fundamentally, however, the key
institutions in the sector and the legal framework are not
fit for purpose and are a significant drag on the industry.
This report sketches the roles and contribution of
stakeholder organizations such as the Uganda Seed Trade
Association, the Uganda National Farmers Federation, and the
Uganda National Agrolnput Dealers Association. It outlines
the support provided by major donors, the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), the Danish
International Development Agency (Danida), the Alliance for
a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Netherlands
Embassy, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and
the East Africa Community (EAC) Secretariat, over 15 years.
After spelling out the issues in the sector, the report
looks at the political economy literature for insights to
help explain the near paralysis in the regulatory
institutions. The dominant role of the National Resistance
Movement (NRM) in decision making is described, as is the
regime's use of inflationary patronage.