AUSTIN—Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller provided an important update on the ongoing issue of unsolicited seed packages arriving in Texas from Chinese vendors. So far, Texas has received a total of 17 seed packets, and yesterday, residents in Florida and Washington State reported receiving similar packages. Commissioner Sid Miller is working closely with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) acting Secretary of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security to safely collect these packages and ensure they are delivered to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for a thorough inspection.

“We’re still seeing more mystery seeds from China showing up in Texas,” Commissioner Miller stated. “We are working closely with our partners at USDA, APHIS, the White House, and the Department of Homeland Security to protect our state’s biosecurity. Thanks to Texans reporting these packages, we can monitor the situation closely and take swift action to protect our agriculture and natural resources. If you receive seeds, you didn’t order, don’t open them—report them immediately.”

The 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 partners to identify similar small mail packages from the same sources.

If you receive a foreign package containing seeds, do not open it. Keep the contents sealed in their original packaging and immediately contact the TDA toll-free at (800) TELL-TDA.

 

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