Unsolicited seed packages from China arriving on doorsteps across the U.S. have prompted urgent warnings from agricultural officials concerned about potential threats to American crops and ecosystems. 

What's happening?

According to the New York Post, the Texas Department of Agriculture documented 126 packages delivered across the state since January 1, with additional deliveries reported from Florida to New Mexico. The packages contain clear envelopes filled with seeds, sometimes bearing Chinese labels and other times being unlabeled. 

"These packages are pouring in faster and further than ever before," Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said, per the news outlet.  "They may look innocent, but the danger is real."

People receiving these mailings noted they never ordered them, and authorities have instructed anyone finding these deliveries on their doorstep to leave them sealed and notify officials to collect them for testing. 

"Texans need to stay sharp," Miller said. "Report every suspicious package. We can't take any chances that might jeopardize our producers, the environment, or food security."

While the packages could be "brushing scams," where businesses send worthless products to generate fake reviews, they nevertheless pose genuine risks. A comparable wave of mysterious seed mailings from China occurred throughout 2020, which investigators attributed to similar fraudulent schemes. 

The seeds are somehow evading U.S. customs inspections designed to prevent them from ever entering the country. 

"We've got a flaw in our security system," Miller told News 4 San Antonio. "These things are coming [via] direct ship. Customs is not picking this up."

Why are these packages important?

Invasive seeds — on their own or distributed via fraud schemes — can devastate local ecosystems and food production systems. 

"One invasive species, pest, or pathogen could devastate Texas farms, ranches, natural resources, and food supply," Miller warned, per the Post. 

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Introducing non-native plants could quickly see them outcompete native species, disrupting pollination patterns and destroying habitats that wildlife depends on for survival. 

"Some of these seeds have been invasive species, noxious weeds that we don't want to get started in our agriculture crops," Miller explained. "It could ruin agriculture production."

What's being done about invasive seed threats?

Agricultural officials are coordinating with customs enforcement to identify and intercept suspicious seed packages, with the Texas Department of Agriculture actively collecting reported packages for testing and proper disposal. 

Anyone receiving unsolicited seeds should contact their state agriculture department immediately, rather than discarding packages where seeds could germinate. 

For his part, Miller emphasized that proper reporting also helps officials track distribution patterns and address gaps in screening that allow the packages to enter the country undetected. 

Meanwhile, to counter the impact of invasive plant species, rewilding your yard with native species can make it much more difficult for problematic plants to take root.

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