Centre alerts states, industry to be vigilant about 'mystery seed parcels'

Amid Covid-19 scare, the Centre has sounded an alert on a possible ‘bio-warfare’, asking state governments, agriculture universities and seed associations on “unsolicited/mystery seed parcels” from unknown sources.

The alert by the Agriculture Ministry comes after thousands of “suspicious seed shipments” were reported from across the world, which was seen as an attempt to introduce a pathogen or diseases that could pose a threat to the environment, agriculture ecosystem and national security.

“All states' department of agriculture, agriculture universities, seed associations, seed certification agencies, seed corporations, ICAR vis-a-vis their crop-based research institutes are directed to be vigilant about the suspicious seed parcels,” the ministry said.

It also referred to a US Department of Agriculture report that termed the mystery seed parcels as a “brushing scam” and “agricultural smuggling” that could threaten the biodiversity of any country.

“It's best to proactively work to avoid their release than to have to bear huge costs for controlling them in future. All of us should be careful not to use any seed coming from unknown sources. Plant quarantine and customs checks at ports and airports have to be stringent,” Ram Kaundinya, Director General of the Federation of Seed Industry of India, said in a statement.

He said the seeds could be of an invasive species or weed that could compete or displace native species.

“Right now, it is only an alert for a possible spread of plant diseases through seeds coming from unauthorised sources without orders. There are limitations to what diseases a seed can carry,” Kaundinya said.

According to the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), residents in Washington, New York, Virginia, Florida and a few other states in the US had received unrecognised seed packets without details of origin through e-commerce companies which were not ordered by them.

Similar parcels were reportedly received by residents of New Zealand, Canada, UK, Japan and a few European countries.