Australians are being urged not to plant any "mystery seeds" they receive in the mail, after reports of multiple unsolicited seed packets arriving at Australian addresses from Asia.
Australian biosecurity officers have found 36 seed packages arriving at Australian addresses, filled with unknown plant matter, which were not ordered by the recipients.
The packages appear to have been sent from several countries including China, Malaysia, Pakistan and Taiwan.
The phenomenon has prompted warnings from the Australian Seed Federation, who urged the public to contact the Federal Department of Agriculture if they receive unsolicited seed packages.
“If you receive seed packages via the mail that you have not ordered, please report these to Australia’s biosecurity officials as soon as possible,” CEO Osman Mewett said.
“You should only plant and use seed from known and trusted sources.”
The organisation said seeds of unknown origin pose a major threat to Australia’s biosecurity and could introduce invasive species and pests to Australia’s ecosystem.
An unsolicited seed packet recieved in Australia. Source: Supplied: Department Of Agriculture, Water And Environment
“Australian farmers and backyard vegetable growers expect quality seed and ensuring seed health is a very important topic for the Australian seed industry,” Mr Mewett said.
“Healthy seeds, free from known seed-borne diseases, are necessary for sustainable food production.”
“Keeping seeds, and consequently plants, healthy is crucial to ensure a sustainable food supply, as well as to protect Australia’s environment and agricultural enterprises.”
Australia has stringent biosecurity laws and all seeds imported into Australia are rigorously tested to ensure they do not introduce plant pests to the environment.
“If you do receive seeds in the mail that you did not purchase, do not plant the seeds or put them in the garbage, secure the seeds and immediately report it to the department,” Head of Australian Biosecurity Operations, Emily Canning said in August.
“Imported seeds that do not meet biosecurity conditions can threaten our environment, agricultural industries and even backyard gardens.”
Unsolicited seeds have been reported in several countries in the past five weeks, including all fifty US states.
The US Department of Agriculture has identified more than 140 seeds sent in the mail to residents, coming from a mix of fruit and vegetable, ornamental, herb and weed species.
American Agriculture officials believe the seeds are part of an e-commerce "brushing" scam.
Under the scheme, e-commerce sellers boost their ratings on sites like eBay and Amazon by creating fake orders - sending unsolicited items to random addresses to artificially boost sales and fabricate customer reviews.
