RESSAC disseminates the results of its evaluative research on the agricultural seed system in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This research aimed to identify obstacles to seed sector development in six target provinces in eastern DRC using an analytical framework designed to provide a landscape analysis of key seed sector stakeholders and diagnose problems in an enabling environment for seed activity.

Research Results

Poor quality of first-generation seeds: In addition to concerns related to genetics and limited diversity, many seed stakeholders in the six provinces complained about the quality of first-generation seeds. The main seed quality is characterized by genetic purity and varietal identity. These characteristics are established during variety registration, after which the breeder maintains this level of quality through conservative breeding. Without adequate maintenance or germplasm repositories, improved varieties degenerate and seed cannot be produced. INERA lacks the necessary funds, facilities, and equipment for the development, maintenance, and production of breeder-owned seed varieties. In the northern provinces of eastern DRC, there is no traceability for pre-basic and foundation seeds, which are produced only on an ad hoc basis, at the request of a project, and sometimes from other countries. In the southern provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, where the commercial importance of maize creates an increased need for quality foundation seeds, the problem has been addressed by seed producers who have taken over foundation seed production from INERA.

National and Provincial Seed Policies: This study highlights the absence of a clear legal and regulatory framework for the seed sector. The absence of a national seed law has been identified by many stakeholders as one of the main obstacles to the development of the seed sector and one of the main underlying causes of many problems encountered, such as the presence of fake seeds, unfair competition, chaos and corruption in the supply of emergency seeds. The absence of a national seed law also directly affects the authority of SENASEM with regard to its legal mandate, which should include, among other things: the creation of a national variety catalog, the establishment of the genetic identity of varieties put on sale in the DRC, the certification of the quality of locally produced seeds and the elimination of fake seeds on the market. The adoption of the seed law is also a prerequisite for the creation of a national variety dissemination committee capable of evaluating and officially registering new varieties in the national variety catalog. Lack of a clear legal mandate for SENASEM. In many countries (in the region and worldwide), the national seed law designates a specific body as the national seed authority and grants it certain powers to inspect and regulate the seed market. In the DRC, although SENASEM currently performs many of the functions of a national seed authority, this authority has been formally delegated to MINAGRI. Thus, SENASEM cannot impose fines or confiscate fake seeds without the approval of MINAGRI or the IPAPEL inspector in the relevant province. This structure undermines the agency's independence and gives undue political influence to its decisions. Limited public-private dialogue at the national and provincial levels on seed sector issues. Coordination at the provincial level is nascent, and COPROSEM has only recently been established in some provinces. During roundtable discussions with seed sector stakeholders from South Kivu, North Kivu, and Ituri, stakeholders noted that this meeting was the first of its kind to involve a diverse group of seed producers. Advocacy must be led not only by the private seed industry, but also by farmers. Advocacy groups should include farmer organizations to ensure their voice in the policy process. The Inter-Donor Group on Agriculture and Rural Development (GIBADER), a donor coordination group composed of international and bilateral development agencies active in the DRC, could play a role in facilitating coordinated advocacy among these different groups and supporting the GDRC in implementing seed policies and resulting laws.

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to improving seed certification is the lack of a seed information management system and databases to promote effective and efficient seed certification and transparency in the seed sector. Among the provinces visited, each SENASEM office uses a different format to record seed sector data. SENASEM staff in Kinshasa cannot provide data on the volume of seed produced, the number of fields inspected, or other key data on seed sector performance in other provinces. SENASEM received training and resources to improve its data systems in Belgium, but the agency struggled to systematize data for traceability. There is also no online resource or official database of testing protocols for the variety catalog. Traceability of seed generations is universally mandatory under seed production regulations. Along with effective field inspections and seed testing, it constitutes the cornerstone of promoting seed quality and protecting the integrity of the system. Certified commercial seed (R1) can only be produced from certified foundation seed, which must be traced back to the breeder's seed. In the DRC, given the challenges of varietal maintenance and access to pre-basic and foundation seed, it is virtually impossible to produce certified seed. Yet, SENASEM continues to certify seed annually. Combined with the profit motive generated by the seed market (described below), a high percentage of seed packaged and sold as "certified" seed in the DRC consists of cereals or seeds of a lower quality than indicated on the label.

Research Recommendations:

1. Strengthen SENASEM's capacity for seed testing and, potentially, the accreditation of private laboratories.
2. Strengthen SENASEM's overall capacity to implement the management systems, staff training, facilities, and equipment necessary to serve as an effective seed control and accreditation authority.
3. Support the creation of a Technical Commission for Admission to the Catalog and the official publication and registration of new varieties in the national variety catalog after appropriate DUS testing and the maintenance of a reference sample.
4. Strengthen SENASEM's capacity to implement procedures for accrediting third-party seed quality control services.