LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner is warning Kentuckians to be cautious of mysterious seeds they may receive in the mail, according to a press release issued Monday.
The release said that over the weekend, several people notified the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KGA) after receiving mysterious packets of seeds in the mail that they didn’t order.
AG Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles said Kentucky is the fourth state known to receive these suspicious seeds that appear to have been shipped from China.
Dr. Quarles said if someone receives one of these packages, they are to report it to the KDA immediately. He also firmly urged anyone who receives these seeds not to plant them.
He said it’s too early to tell what these seeds are, but they could possibly be an invasive plant species or cause harm to local plants or livestock.
“We don’t know what they are, and we cannot risk any harm whatsoever to agricultural production in the United States,” he said in the press release. “We have the safest, most abundant food supply in the world and we need to keep it that way.”
If someone gets these seeds in the mail, they are instructed to put them in an airtight bag and ship them to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services' division of Plant Protection Quarantine.
Here is the mailing address:
USDA-APHIS PPQ
P.O. Box 475
Hebron, KY 41048
Individuals are also encouraged to contact the Kentucky Department of Agriculture at (502) 573-0280 or by email at ag.web@ky.gov.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture shared a similar warning on July 24 after residents in the area received the same packages of seeds.
According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the packages were sent by mail and may have Chinese characters written on them.
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