Agriculture officials urge not to plant mystery seeds from China

(KYMA, KECY)-The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) urges anyone to report any unsolicited packages of seeds that appear to have been sent from China.

USDA says the seeds could be harmful.

They continue to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies to investigate the situation.

USDA says to immediately contact their state plant regulatory official or state plant, director.

Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.

USDA does not have any evidence indicating this is something other than a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.

USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents and determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment.

NBC News says public notices about unsolicited shipments of seeds from China were also issued by agriculture officials in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington state, West Virginia and Wyoming.

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