A four-day Training-of-Trainers workshop on digitalizing the seed sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using SeedTracker was held on 7-10 April 2026 at IITA Kinshasa under the FAO EmergenSys and National Agricultural Development Program (PNDA) projects implemented by IITA-CGIAR.
The training brought together 21 participants, including eight national seed inspectors from the National Seed Service (SENASEM), two staff members each from the National Institute of Agronomic Studies and Research (INERA), IT specialists from DANTIC (IT department of the Ministry of Agriculture), and seed companies, to strengthen digital seed quality assurance and seed system management in the country.
According to Project Leader Dr Paul Donstop, based at IITA-Kinshasha, the initiative addresses major challenges in the DRC seed sector, including limited technical capacity, inadequate quality assurance systems, and poor access to improved, disease-free seed. Through the Agricultural Transformation Program (PTA-DR Congo), the PNDA and EmergenSys projects aim to strengthen seed systems resilience and improve agricultural productivity.
Dr Clerisse Casinga, the course organizer, noted that the training focused on assessing SENASEM’s digitalization needs, operationalizing SeedTracker in the DRC, building the capacity of seed inspectors and stakeholders, and promoting awareness of digital tools for seed certification and traceability. Participants received practical training on SeedTracker installation, data collection, and field reporting, led by Busayo Ogunya, an IT Programmer from IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria.
SeedTracker is expected to play a transformative role in strengthening the DRC seed system by improving seed traceability, quality assurance, certification processes, and real-time data management. The platform enables efficient monitoring of seed production, inspection, and distribution, helping to ensure farmers have access to quality seed while supporting transparency and accountability across the seed value chain. The tool also provides a foundation for data-based decision-making and faster response to seed system challenges, contributing to improved food security and agricultural resilience in the DRC.
As part of the initiative, a needs assessment was conducted at SENASEM, the national seed quality assurance agency, to support the integration of digital tools into seed sector operations. Technical support from DANTIC, the Ministry of Agriculture’s IT department, is helping establish the infrastructure needed to adopt SeedTracker, including plans for a dedicated SeedTracker control room to monitor implementation.
Dr Lava Kumar, Virologist, Head of IITA’s Germplasm Health Unit, and SeedTracker lead based at IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria, thanked the EmergenSys and PNDA projects for supporting SeedTracker adoption in the DRC and emphasized that the SeedTracker-DRC platform has been tailored to meet the country’s specific seed system and certification needs.
At the end of the workshop, participants shared their insights and expressed enthusiasm for adopting digital tools. Speaking on behalf of all participants, Daniel Mwambi, Head of Division at SENASEM-Kinshasa, emphasized the importance of this digitalization initiative using SeedTracker for modernizing agriculture and within the seed sector in the DRC. Additionally, he indicated interest in ongoing collaboration with trainers for further data collection. All participants approved a roadmap for sustainable digitalization. Field practice with the SeedTracker app demonstrated their ability to collect and report data effectively.
Contributed by Clerisse Casinga and Lava Kumar
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