SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Department of Agriculture is warning residents of a surge in unsolicited seed packages arriving by mail from China, reporting that 120 packages were intercepted in the first two weeks of January alone – with a total of over 1,200 packages in the past few months.
The mystery seeds are a resurgence of a trend first seen four or five years ago. While the packages are appearing in other states like Florida and New Mexico, Texas has seen a significant concentration of the shipments.
“We’ve got a flaw in our security system,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “These things are coming direct ship. Customs is not picking this up.”
“These packages are pouring in faster and further than ever before,” Commissioner Miller said. “They may look innocent, but the danger is real. One invasive species, pest, or pathogen could devastate Texas farms, ranches, natural resources, and food supply. We cannot gamble with Texas agriculture.”
Authorities identified a “common thread” among recipients: many had previously purchased items from Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu or through social media sites like TikTok. Officials believe addresses are being harvested from these previous orders.
The TDA is urging the public not to open the packages, plant the seeds, or dispose of them in the trash or toilets. Concerns include the introduction of invasive species or noxious weeds that could ruin agricultural production, as well as the presence of unidentified liquids or bare-root plants.
“Some of these seeds have been invasive species, noxious weeds that we don’t want to get started in our agriculture crops,” said Miller. “It could ruin agriculture production.”
Miller also raised concerns about potential biological risks.
“You don’t know that there’s possibly another COVID variant in that package you can’t see, or some kind of virus or bacteria – could be anthrax or cholera,” warned Miller.
The TDA is partnering with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to test and destroy the seeds. Residents who receive a package are asked to call 1-800-TELL-TDA to arrange for an inspector to collect the items.
For those unwilling to wait for a government official, Miller provided specific instructions for neutralizing the seeds at home: place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in an oven at 350 to 400 degrees for 30 minutes to ensure they cannot germinate.
The issue has been elevated to federal authorities. Following recent meetings in Washington, D.C., the TDA confirmed that Homeland Security has been alerted and is looking into the source of the shipments.
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