Authorities in at least four states are urging residents to report any unsolicited seed packages that appear to have been shipped from China, warning that they could be invasive or otherwise harmful.
State departments of agriculture in Washington, Louisiana, Kansas and Virginia have issued statements in recent days, noting that residents reported receiving seed packets in the mail that they had not ordered. According to the photos, the seeds appear to have been mailed in white bags with Chinese letters and the words “China Post.”
Some of the packages were labeled to say they contained jewelry, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
Seed packages have also been sent to residents of Utah, Arizona and Ohio, according to local news reports.
Officials warn people not to plant seeds.
“Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce disease to local plants, or be harmful to livestock,” the Washington State Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
Police in Whitehouse, Ohio, where a resident reported receiving seeds, said the packages appeared to be part of a “brushing” fraud.
“A brushing scam,” the department said on its Facebook page, “is a feat by a vendor that is used to boost product ratings and increase online visibility by sending an inexpensive product to an unintentional recipient and then send positive feedback on behalf of the recipient under the guise of a verified owner. “
Although the seeds did not appear to be “directly dangerous,” the department said, “we would still prefer people to contact us to dispose of the seeds properly.”
The United States Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service encourages people to report “possible smuggling of prohibited exotic fruits, vegetables, or meat products.”
Mike Strain, the commissioner for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said in a statement Friday that people should notify their department if they had received an unsolicited packet of seeds.
“Right now, we are not sure what types of seeds are in the package,” Strain said. “As a precaution, we urge anyone who receives a package that has not been ordered by the recipient to call the LDAF immediately. We need to identify the seeds to make sure they don’t pose a risk to Louisiana’s agricultural industry or the environment. ”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Carolee Bull, a professor who heads the Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology Department at Penn State University, said planting unidentified seeds could be harmful.
“The reason people are concerned is, especially if the seed is the seed of a similar crop that is grown for income and food, or animal feed, that there may be plant or insect pathogens found in the seed, “he said. said.
The introduction of seeds is strictly regulated in the United States, Professor Bull said. The Plant Protection and Quarantine program, operated by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture, has strict rules for the importation of plants and seeds.
“Let’s say that when I import seed into the country that hasn’t been here before, for example, wheat seed, I know that they will bring it and grow it at APHIS facilities to detect diseases.” Professor Bull said.
