Source: AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION

Dear ASTA Members:

ASTA continues to remain in close contact with U.S. government officials and domestic and international industry partners regarding the issue of unsolicited seed, allegedly from China, being shipped to U.S. consumers. To date, the unsolicited seeds have been reported in 22 states in the U.S., as well as in other countries, including Canada, Australia, Japan and European Union member nations.

There is still no evidence indicating this is something more than a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. However, USDA is continuing to collect and test as many seeds as possible to determine whether these packets present a threat to U.S. agriculture or the environment.

While the source of the seed packets has still not been identified, they appear to be coming from China. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said at a recent news conference that the labels, allegedly from ChinaPost, are suspected to be fraudulent and China wishes to conduct an investigation.

The latest information is available on the APHIS website, including a new, in-depth Q&A document. There have also been reports of seeds coming from other countries. In recent guidance, USDA is urging anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds to mail those seeds to the location listed here for their state.

Please join us in reminding consumers about the importance of always purchasing seed from reputable sources. You can do this by sharing the video message from Andy LaVigne through your channels.

We’ll continue to keep you posted as the situation develops.

Thanks,

The ASTA Team