Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried, is asking Floridians to contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture if they receive any unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail.
The statement follows reports of packages of seeds marked with Chinese characters arriving at people’s homes across the country with no explanation. The packages, sometimes labeled as jewelry, could be part of a “brushing scam” where companies mail out items and then post fake online reviews under that person’s information, but that is still being investigated at this time.
“Plant seeds from unknown sources may introduce dangerous pathogens, diseases, or invasive species into Florida, putting agriculture and our state’s plant, animal and human health at risk,”
– Agriculture Commissioner Nikki fried
If you receive a package like this, you are instructed to contact the USDA immediately to have them disposed of as they may be invasive, hold unknown pathogens, toxins, diseases, or pose a risk to animal and human health.
I received those weird seeds from China but when you call the numbers the voicemail box is full. No one has responded to my emails either. What to do? What to do?
Tammy Newman