Statement from Senate Agriculture Chair Jen Metzger on How Residents Should Manage Unsolicited Packages of Seeds Received in the Mail

“New Yorkers are receiving unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail, and the United States Department of Agriculture and the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets are asking residents who receive seeds that they did not order to please mail the sealed seed package(s) with the original packaging directly to the USDA. Recipients are asked to include their contact information and any relevant details. Handling or planting seeds from questionable sources is strongly discouraged.”

Households in many states across the U.S. have been receiving packages of seeds from foreign countries, falsely labeled as other products. As Chair of the State Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, Senator Metzger advises area residents and all New Yorkers to refrain from handling or planting what could be invasive species that may be harmful to native plants and crops, as well as to livestock and wildlife in NYS.

Unsolicited seeds should be immediately sent to the following address with the recipient’s contact information:

Office of the State Plant Health Director of New York

c/o Christopher Zaloga, United States Department of Agriculture

500 New Karner Road

Albany, NY 12205

For more information, please visit NYS Ag & Markets’ website site here. 

Jen Metzger represents the 42nd Senate District, which includes all of Sullivan County and parts of Delaware, Orange, and Ulster Counties. Senator Metzger serves as Chair of the Agriculture Committee and sits on the Environmental Conservation, Education, Health, Energy and Telecommunications, Local Government, Women’s Issues, Domestic Animal Welfare, and Legislative Commission on Rural Resources Committees. 

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