Mystery seed packages from China return to Texas, prompting alarm
State officials warn the contents could be harmful and urged those who receive unsolicited packages to report them
Texas is urging residents to report unsolicited packages of seeds or liquid that arrive in the mail, warning they might be harmful.
A resident in Clute, a suburb of Houston, received a mystery package of unidentified seeds and a container of liquid from China, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said.
The state forwarded the package to the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for identification and testing, according to a news release.
“Folks, please take this matter seriously,” Miller said in a written statement. “We also cannot allow unidentified seeds to enter Texas.”
If planted, Miller said, invasive plant species could harm the state’s agriculture industry.
In 2020, residents across the country received mystery seeds, usually from China, baffling the public. Some of the packages were labelled as jewellery, toys or earbuds. Many came in white pouches with the words “China Post”.