USDA, state ag officials say don’t open unexpected seed shipments

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USDA, state ag officials say don’t open unexpected seed shipments

The USDA and states are urging people not to open any mysterious packages of seeds they did not order

Grace Atherton with Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says the unsolicited and often unlabeled seeds might contain harmful plants or diseases. “It could contain invasive plant species, it could be harmful to livestock, it could have detrimental effects on our agriculture industry and our plant health.”

Atherton says they are working with USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service to investigate the seed shipments, and there are steps recipients can take to help. “They should not plant or throw away the seeds. If the seeds are in sealed packaging, don’t open the sealed package. Just leave it closed. If you can, keep a hold of the original packaging as well as the seeds themselves. That may be useful as we look into this.”

Anyone receiving the seeds should contact their state’s plant health director.  Many states including Wisconsin have an online reporting form.

DATCP says all foreign seeds shipped to the United States should have a phytosanitary certificate that guarantees the seeds meet import requirements.

People in several states have received the small shipments of seed packages without ordering them.

Grace Atherton discusses the mystery seed problem with Brownfield’s Larry Lee 7-28-20
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