Agriculture officials in multiple states issued warnings Monday about unsolicited shipments of foreign seeds and advised people not to plant them.
\nIn Kentucky, the state \u2026<\/b>
\nAgriculture officials in multiple states issued warnings Monday about unsolicited shipments of foreign seeds and advised people not to plant them. In Kentucky, the state agriculture department was notified that several residents received unsolicited seed packets sent by mail that appeared to have originated in China, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said. The types of seeds are unknown and could be harmful, he said. The commissioner stressed that the seeds should not be planted. \u201cWe don\u2019t know what they are, and we cannot risk any harm whatsoever to agricultural production in the United States,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have the safest, most abundant food supply in the world and we need to keep it that way.\u201d Anyone in Kentucky receiving packages of foreign or unfamiliar seeds should contact the state agriculture department immediately, Quarles said. \u201cAt this point in time, we don\u2019t have enough information to know if this is a hoax, a prank, an internet scam or an act of agricultural bio-terrorism,\u201d he said. \u201cUnsolicited seeds could be invasive and introduce unknown diseases to local plants, harm livestock or threaten our environment.\u201d Several other states have also received suspicious packages of seeds that appear to have originated from China, news outlets reported. In North Carolina, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it was contacted by numerous people who received seed shipments they did not order. The agency said the shipments were likely the product of an international internet scam known as \u201cbrushing.\u201d \u201cAccording to the Better Business Bureau, foreign, third-party sellers use your address and Amazon information to generate a fake sale and positive review to boost their product ratings,\u201d said Phil Wilson, director of the state\u2019s Plant Industry Division.<\/p>\n