Table 3.
Status of seed policy, regulations, and length of maize varietal release process in selected countries in the ESA (in 2020).
| Seed Policy/Law | Ethiopia | Kenya | Malawi | Mozambique | South Africa | Tanzania | Uganda | Zambia | Zimbabwe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of variety release process (months) | 46 | 34 | 24 | 24 | 15 | 31 | 20 | 24 | 18 | |
| Status and implementation of national seed policy framework | Seed policy (year) | 1993 | 2010 | 2018 | No seed policy | 2012 | 2013 | 2018 | 1999 | No seed policy |
| Amendment to seed law (year) | 2013 | 2012 | 2018 | No Law | 2015 | 2014 | 2007 | 1995 | 1971 | |
| Seed regulations (year) | 2016 | 2016 | 2018 | 2013 | 2017 | 2017 | 2017 | 2016 | 2016 | |
| Regional Harmonization status | Under amendment (COMESA) | Harmonized (COMESA) | Under amendment (COMESA & SADC) | Harmonized (SADC) | Not harmonized | Under amendment (SADC) | Harmonized (COMESA) | Pending approval (COMESA) | Harmonized (COMESA) | |
Based on the information provided by Mabaya et al. (2021).