Community Corner
'Mystery Seeds' From China Found In Alabama Mailboxes
The Alabama Department of Agriculture is has reports from citizens who received unsolicited seed packages from China by mail.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, AL — Multiple Alabama residents have reported receiving packets of seeds from China in the mail, and the Alabama Department of Agriculture addressed the issue Wednesday. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office confirmed that many of the seed packets had arrived in county mailboxes.
Anyone who has received these packets is asked to report them to the Alabama Department of Agriculture via an online form.
Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants or be harmful to livestock, officials said. State and federal departments are working together to protect the nation's agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds.
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"Currently, it appears to be just a 'brushing scam' to boost sales," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Wednesday.
Officials warn not to open the seed packets or use them until more information is gathered on the issue.
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