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Ohio Department of Agriculture comments on unsolicited seeds

Some Ohio residents have reported receiving unsolicited packages of seeds and the Ohio Department of Agriculture is asking them to notify the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service immediately.

The packages appear to be from China, and it is unclear what type of seeds they are.

The department urges growers not to open the packages or plant the seeds. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive species, contain noxious weeds, introduce diseases to local plants, or be harmful to livestock.

All foreign seeds shipped to the US should have a phytosanitary certificate, which guarantees the seeds meet important requirements.

Call the USDA APHIS anti-smuggling hotline at 800-877-3835 or fill out a form here.