County sets up dropbox to collect unsolicited seeds

Sutter County has set up a dropbox to collect unsolicited seeds from China and other parts of Asia after the California Department of Food and Agriculture became aware of several reports of such shipments being delivered to homeowners throughout the country, including Yuba and Sutter counties.

Anyone who receives an unsolicited seed shipment is asked to drop off the package at the dropbox located outside of the agricultural commissioner’s office,

142 Garden Highway,

Yuba City, or contact their local agriculture commission office to make arrangements to collect, isolate and properly store the seed.

To contact the Sutter County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, call 822-7500 or email Sutterag@co.sutter.ca.us.

To contact the Yuba County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, located at 915 Eighth St., Suite 127, Marysville, call 749-5400.

For those that have planted the unsolicited seeds, local agriculture commissioners ask residents to take the following actions:

– If planted in pots, the resident should hold the pots with soil and seed until further instructions are provided or collect the planted material and hold at the local agriculture commission office until further instructions are provided.

– If planted in ground, residents should markoff and hold the planted site and avoid irrigating or cultivating it or dig up the seed and ample surrounding soil and hold at the local agriculture commission office until further instructions are provided.