New Boards for Seed and Agricultural Chemical Control inaugurated by Agriculture Minister

16/04/2019

On the 4th of October 2018, new Boards for Seed and Agricultural Chemicals were inaugurated during a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in Entebbe.

The meeting during which the Board was instituted was chaired by Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Sempijja the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.

Above: Board members with Hon. Vincent Sempijja the ,Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries after the meeting in Entebbe on the 4th of October 2018.

The inauguration of such Boards is guided by the third Strategic Objective of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries which is “To strengthen and implement strategies, regulatory framework, standards, institutional structures and infrastructure for quality assurance and increased quantities of agricultural products to access and sustain local, regional and export markets.”

This structural support is also guided by the Uganda Seeds and Plant Act as well as Section 5 of the Agricultural Chemicals (Control) Act.

The functions of the Agricultural Chemicals Board are as follows:

  1. To ensure that agricultural chemicals are duly registered and that those agricultural chemicals are used in a manner consistent with the labelling and in conformity with the regulations made under the Agricultural Chemicals Control Act.
  2. To regulate the quality and importation of agricultural chemicals into the country and their distribution.
  3. To consider applications for registration of agricultural chemicals, certified commercial applicators and fumigators, to issue licences, and to make recommendations thereon to the Minister for the purposes of this paragraph, the Minister may on the advice of the board by statutory instrument appoint registrars to carry out the registration and issuing of licences under the Agricultural Chemicals Control Act and any regulations made under it.
  4. To suspend, cancel or revoke a certificate of registration or licence issued under the Agricultural Chemicals Control Act or any regulations made under it.
  5. To advise the Minister on all matters relating to and connected with the enforcement of the Agricultural Chemicals Control Act and any regulations made under it.

The functions of the Seed Board as outlined in the Seeds and Plant Act as as follows.

  1. Advising the Minister on the National Seed Policy.
  2. Advising the Minister on the informal seed sector and vegetatively propagated material.
  3. Advising the Minister on variety introductions, breeders seed production and maintenance.
  4. Establishing a system of implementing seed policies through technical committees.
  5. Formulating and advising the Minister on the regulations and standards controlling the development of the seed in distinctness, uniformity and stability.
  6. Constantly reviewing the national seed supply and advising the Minister on the administration of the seed in distinctness, uniformity and stability.
  7. Co-ordinating and monitoring the public and private seed sector in order to achieve the national seed industry objectives.
  8. Giving advice to plant breeding organisations on the market and farmers’ requirements.
  9. Performing any other related function under the Seeds and Plant Act.

Notes for editors

Below are additional details for editors.

About the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is a Ministry in the Government of Uganda charged with creating an enabling environment in the Agricultural Sector.

The Ministry formulates, reviews and implement national policies, plans, strategies, regulations and standards and enforce laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries.

Vision: A competitive, profitable and sustainable agricultural sector.

Mission: To transform subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

See strategic objectives here.

See Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan here.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) is made up of four Directorates including the Directorate of Crop Resources, Directorate of Animal Resources, Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services and the Directorate of Fisheries Resources each with Departments, Divisions and Partnership Projects.

The Departments of the Ministry which do not fall directly in the above include the Department of Agricultural Planning and Development, the Human Resource Department, the Department of Finance and Administration and the Department of Agricultural Infrastructure, Mechanisation and Water for Agricultural Production.

The Ministry is also made up of seven Agencies including the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), Dairy Development Authority (DDA), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Coordinating Office for the Control of Trypanosomiasis in Uganda (COCTU) and the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Databank (NAGRC&DB).