Ag News

Chinese mystery seed packages arrive in Texas

On Feb. 7, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced new reports of unsolicited seed packages arriving across Texas from Chinese vendors. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is working swiftly to safely collect these packages and ensure they are delivered to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for inspection.

One Texan reported ordering a dog toy from the Chinese vendor TEMU, only to receive a package of seeds instead, according to TDA, which indicated five packages were received around the state.

APHIS identified the seeds and liquid in the package delivered to Clute, Texas. The seeds were identified as Sacred Lotus or Nelumbo nucifera seeds, also known as Indian lotus, an aquatic plant. The unlabeled liquid was also confirmed as an accompanying nutrient solution. Sacred Lotus is considered an invasive aquatic plant in many regions, particularly when introduced outside its native range in Asia. While invasive, it is not listed on the federal noxious weed list and is only prohibited in one state, Wisconsin.

The TDA indicated that contents of these packages will be destroyed through steam sterilization at no cost to the recipients. TDA’s partners at APHIS will share the detections with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify similar small mail packages from the same sources.

This is not the first time unsolicited packets of seeds have found their way to the U.S. In August 2020, almost 1,000 Georgia residents reported receiving unsolicited seeds. The Georgia Department of Agriculture advised people then not to open the packages or plant the seeds.

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