The history of tree seed production in Tanzania started as early as in 1902, under the German rule at the Biological and Agricultural Research Institute (Das Biologisch Land Wirtschaftlichen Institute) at Amani in Tanga Region. The sole objective of the project was to supplement the dwindling wood supplies from natural forests. This was then subsequently followed by a large scale industrial forest plantation establishment in the 1950s under the British rule. In 1927 during the British rule in Tanganyika, the Biological and Agricultural Research Institute was renamed the “East African Agricultural Research Station (EAARS). In 1948, the Amani Station was moved to Muguga, Kenya to form the East African Agricultural and Forestry Research Organisation (EAAFRO). Besides research, the organisation catered for tree seed handling activities which were common for the three partner states under the British rule. Problems which were unique to individual countries were addressed on a national basis. This led to the establishment of the Silvicultural Research Station at Lushoto in 1951. At Lushoto, a sub-section of handling seed activities was formed and whose objective was to supply small quantities of tree seed of mainly Pines, Cypress, and Eucalypts for research purposes and for the establishment of Government plantations.
In 1970s the Government of Tanzania launched national tree planting campaigns to rehabilitate the degraded environments. This created high demand for seed of local and exotic tree species for various end uses. The Silviculture Research Station at Lushoto was not well placed and had no capacity to handle large quantities of tree seed. The Government recognized the seriousness of the situation and this led to the establishment of the National Tree Seed Programme (NTSP) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in 1989 to enhance sustainable supply of high quality tree seed and other propagating materials. Following Government reforms under the Civil Service Programme, NTSP was transformed into the Tanzania Tree Seed Agency (TTSA) in 2004 and later in November 2018, TTSA was merged to Tanzania Forest Service and become a Directorate of Tree Seed production withinin TFS which inherited all objectives i.e. to sustainably produce and supply high quality tree seed and other propagating materials for different end uses.