LUSAKA, Zambia (September 2025) — Komboka has become the first rice variety to be listed in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Seed Variety Catalogue, paving the way for seamless regional trade. This allows Komboka to be marketed and sold across all 21 COMESA member countries without undergoing separate testing in each nation.

In Kenya, where Komboka rice was widely adopted, farmers attest to increased yield, disease resistance, uniform crop stand, higher tillering, and good cooking quality. Currently, at least 40% of farmers in Kenya are planting Komboka rice, and this number continues to grow, particularly in new rice-growing areas such as Tana River County, which is now fully dedicated to the variety’s cultivation.

Komboka, which means “to liberate” in the local context (in Swahili), was developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in partnership with national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) organizations. It was introduced in Kenya in 2013 in collaboration with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). KALRO and the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Burundi (ISABU) played a crucial role in facilitating Komboka’s inclusion in the COMESA catalogue, helping it reach smallholder farmers across Eastern and Southern Africa more efficiently.

Nineteen member states developed COMESA to simplify access to improved varieties and facilitate cross-border trade. Under its framework, any variety approved in two or more member countries is eligible for regional recognition, reducing paperwork, speeding distribution, and helping farmers access high-quality seeds of high-yielding varieties more efficiently.

"With Komboka now the region’s first rice variety registered under the COMESA seed-trade framework, it accelerates access to improved, climate-resilient rice varieties and helps farmers boost productivity and food security across the region," said Dr. Ajay Panchbhai, IRRI’s Regional Breeding Lead for East and Southern Africa.

The variety’s new regional status opens markets in countries including Sudan, Malawi, Rwanda, and Somalia, especially for the medium-maturity segment with consumer preferences for the soft grain type. IRRI and NARES partners plan to collaborate with small and medium-sized seed companies to make Komboka widely available to local farmers.

For full details, the COMESA Variety Catalogue can be accessed here.