Someone Smuggling Diseased Crop Seeds?

saw this on another forum

***For the last several years there's been multi repeated attempts to smuggle in wheat seeds infected with this black mold running through Africa and SE Asia. The bad guys even hire just anybody/nobodies to put a couple of handfuls of wheat in their pockets and then spread it around weedy and grassy places they pass. Customs catches whole shipments of good stuff laced with infected stuff, down to backpacks or baggies of it.

It's a really over-reaching mold. Almost no wheat is immune. Africa is dying for wheat because none is growing there with any great success now. My friend couldn't say WHO is responsible for the smuggling program. Customs is sure that it's a mixed-group effort. Al-qeda is in the group, but they're not sure of ISIS. There's a hint that Russia has "knowledge".***

anyone heard anything like this? freaky and scary.
presumably there are already all sorts of crop diseases out there. resistance varies.
would be real spooky if one of the sand people gets into genetic modification and produces a virus that kills wheat (or similar).
tv movie to come?

(source: www.survivalistboards.com... )

a reply to: ElGoobero

I think before we start getting all paranoid, we need to start with a link that is not just another web forum saying "I've heard this stuff"

If this is true it's major news, but I need more than 'someone said stuff' as verification.

a reply to: markosity1973

I think what the OP is referring to is 'Stem Rust'. I haven't heard of attempted smuggling, but who knows.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Perhaps Russia is involved in Stem Rust spread in Africa, considering they export more wheat to Africa than anywhere else, a trend which continues to grow and greatly benefits Russia.

In the 2013/14 MY, South Africa imported almost 1.7 million tons of wheat. Most of the wheat was imported from Russia (800,964 tons), Ukraine (372,500 tons), and Germany (179,436 tons). South Africa imported 66,468 tons of wheat from the United States in the 2013/14 MY.

USDA Gain Report

a reply to: Atsbhct

I'm well aware of rust decimating wheat crops, just like blight can wipe out potato crops etc etc (son of a farmer here)

I'm more suspicious of the smuggling attempts and using a disease as a form of terror to starve nations. Like I said before, this is major news it if is true. I just want a better source of verification than another web forum.

originally posted by: ElGoobero

would be real spooky if one of the sand people

What do you mean by this?

This sounds a lot like when Monsanto was purposefully smuggling their Terminator seeds into other countries where they were banned and then spreading them around to contaminate crops.

originally posted by: aorAki

originally posted by: ElGoobero

would be real spooky if one of the sand people

What do you mean by this?

You know, those guys from Star Wars on Tatooine.

originally posted by: ElGoobero
saw this on another forum

***For the last several years there's been multi repeated attempts to smuggle in wheat seeds infected with this black mold running through Africa and SE Asia. The bad guys even hire just anybody/nobodies to put a couple of handfuls of wheat in their pockets and then spread it around weedy and grassy places they pass. Customs catches whole shipments of good stuff laced with infected stuff, down to backpacks or baggies of it.

It's a really over-reaching mold. Almost no wheat is immune. Africa is dying for wheat because none is growing there with any great success now. My friend couldn't say WHO is responsible for the smuggling program. Customs is sure that it's a mixed-group effort. Al-qeda is in the group, but they're not sure of ISIS. There's a hint that Russia has "knowledge".***

anyone heard anything like this? freaky and scary.
presumably there are already all sorts of crop diseases out there. resistance varies.
would be real spooky if one of the sand people gets into genetic modification and produces a virus that kills wheat (or similar).
tv movie to come?

(source: www.survivalistboards.com... )

OK, I rarely comment on articles, but since inspecting foreign fruits, meats, vegetables, plants, seeds, etc is my job, I'll chime in.

This is largely bull# and fear mongering. Yes, as a totality 2% of imports are checked, nearly 100% of agricultural imports are checked by one of the many Agriculture Specialists working for CBP. While we are far understaffed, we do our best. Shipments that need inspected that are non-perishable, like dry wheat, are delayed due to the understaffing but are inspected for diseases, pests, contaminates, etc.

Is Agro-terrorism a threat? Absolutely. But the facts aren't all there with this claim.

Sorry for any typos, I hate typing long replies on my phone...

That is an important theory concerning the introduction of weaponized agricultural diseases as a national security threat, but this is one of those "I know someone who . . ." comments on a prepper's forum board. Not much of a credible source and leaves me wanting some better documented cases.

ElGoobero, maybe you could wrestle up some other sources that support the statements made by Baby Blue - Prepared? It would make it so much more juicy if there was some other supporting sources for this claim. Thanx.

Here is some interesting information from the FBI.

The agroterrorism threat emanates from four categories of perpetrators. The foremost threat is posed by transnational groups, like al Qaeda—widely believed to present the most probable threat of inflicting economic harm on the United States.

The second group is comprised of economic opportunists tempted to manipulate markets. They understand that a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, for example, would have a dramatic impact on markets. By introducing the virus, they could exploit the markets for personal economic gain.

The third category includes domestic terrorists who may view the introduction of FMD as a blow against the federal government. As an outlier of this category, the unbalanced individual or disgruntled employee may perpetrate an attack for a variety of idiosyncratic or narcissistic motivations.

Finally, militant animal rights or environmental activists pose a threat because they consider immoral the use of animals for food. Groups, such as the Animal Liberation Front and its sister organization, the Earth Liberation Front, could view an attack on the animal food industry a positive event.

Agroterrorism Threats to America’s Economy and Food Supply

Here is some info from the National Institute of Justice.

Terrorists trying to damage the U.S. economy need look no further than the country’s heartland for “soft” targets. Farms, ranches, and feedlots are open and generally unprotected. The majority of State and local law enforcement agencies are financially and strategically unprepared to respond to agroterrorism.

Agroterrorism experts are especially concerned about the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease into the food supply. Twenty times more infectious than smallpox, the disease causes painful blisters on the tongues, hooves, and teats of cloven-hoofed animals—cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, deer—rendering them unable to walk, give milk, eat, and drink. Although people generally cannot contract the disease, they can carry the virus in their lungs up to 48 hours and transmit it to animals. The animal-to-animal airborne transmission range is 50 miles.

Agroterrorism—Why We’re Not Ready

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Excellent. What I will say though is that if you look at the date on your last link, it's from 2006/2007, and the fear du jure changes pretty often. Over the last decade it's been FMD, HPAI (bird flu), BSE (mad cow), khapra beetle, giant onion weed seed, water spinach, Asian longhorn beetle (even though it's already here) and many others. As new outbreaks arise we shift focus.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
That is an important theory concerning the introduction of weaponized agricultural diseases as a national security threat, but this is one of those "I know someone who . . ." comments on a prepper's forum board. Not much of a credible source and leaves me wanting some better documented cases.

ElGoobero, maybe you could wrestle up some other sources that support the statements made by Baby Blue - Prepared? It would make it so much more juicy if there was some other supporting sources for this claim. Thanx.

agree. been looking, found nothing. might be just one person's wild tale.
the sand people prefer more direct action (though those Russians are sneaky devils)