August 2026
FANRPAN facilitates revival of Eswatini’s National Seed Committee
After several years of inactivity, FANRPAN supported the reconvening of Eswatini’s National Seed Committee, bringing key seed-sector actors back around the table and establishing a renewed platform for coordinated action on the country’s seed-system priorities.
On 10 August 2026, FANRPAN facilitated the reconvening of Eswatini’s National Seed Committee in Ezulwini, marking the Committee’s first meeting in several years. Working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and its Eswatini Node Hosting Institution, the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO), FANRPAN supported the process of bringing the Committee back into active service as an important national platform for coordinating and guiding the development of Eswatini’s seed sector.
The reconvening represents an important institutional milestone. The National Seed Committee, whose mandate derives from the National Seed Policy, provides a mechanism through which government, research institutions, farmers, the private sector and civil society can collectively identify priorities, address constraints and guide implementation of the country’s seed programme. Its prolonged inactivity had left a significant gap in coordination at a time when Eswatini faces several challenges in strengthening its domestic seed system.
FANRPAN’s facilitation of the Committee’s revival forms part of its broader support to strengthening national policy institutions and multi-stakeholder platforms through the Capacity Strengthening for Policy Implementation towards Improved Livelihoods and Local Agrifood Systems Resilience in Africa (CS-PILLAR) programme. On 16 July 2026, the Principal Secretary for Agriculture confirmed that the National Seed Committee would also serve as the national technical working group for CS-PILLAR in Eswatini, providing an established national structure through which the programme’s seed-system work can be guided, validated and linked to government priorities.
The revived Committee brings together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, including Seed Quality Control Services; the University of Eswatini; the seed industry; the Eswatini National Agricultural Union; agricultural research institutions; CANGO; and FANRPAN. The meeting was chaired by Mr Sandile Makama, Acting Registrar of Seeds, reinforcing government leadership and ownership of the platform.
During the meeting, members assessed some of the most pressing constraints facing Eswatini’s seed sector. These include the country’s limited domestic production of certified seed and consequent dependence on imports; weak public-sector plant-breeding capacity; insufficient seed inspection capacity, with only three seed inspectors serving the country; and the lack of accreditation of the national seed-testing laboratory, where the cost of accreditation has remained a significant barrier.
Importantly, the meeting moved beyond identifying challenges to establishing a practical agenda for action. The Committee considered and adopted its Terms of Reference, subject to agreed amendments, and developed an initial work plan to guide its activities.
A key immediate priority will be a national study of Eswatini’s seed system, which the Committee will guide and validate. The study will generate evidence on the performance of the national seed system, identify policy, regulatory, institutional and capacity gaps, and help inform practical recommendations for strengthening the sector.
The Committee will also provide a platform for coordinating Eswatini’s contribution to the inaugural Africa Seed Summit, which the country will host from 5–7 October 2026. This creates an important opportunity for Eswatini to take stock of its own seed-system priorities while contributing its experience and perspectives to the wider continental conversation on resilient, inclusive and sustainable seed systems.
CS-PILLAR is implemented by FANRPAN with its national nodes in Eswatini, Uganda and Zimbabwe, with support from the Judith Neilson Foundation.