Strawberry growers need assistance package to survive needle scare

WITH some stores offloading strawberries for as little as 25 cents a punnet because of the booby-trap saga, calls are growing for the State Government to provide financial assistance to struggling growers.

OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington has called for a State Government assistance package for Queensland strawberry growers as police investigations continue into the needle contamination scare.

Ms Frecklington said she was concerned about the crippling effect of the scare on the industry.

“I would be hoping the Government has some plan to put something in place to help assist our strawberry farmers going forward,” she said.

“I don’t think an assistance package would be out of the realm of possibility.”

Ms Frecklington’s call came as Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner met with grower representatives on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

“The Government will consider the next steps on the basis of those meetings,” a spokesman for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

The Government has already announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the strawberry contamination. Most of the estimated 80 strawberry farms in Queensland are in the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg and Moreton Bay regions.

Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm owner Laura Hendriksen. Picture: AAP/Ric Frearson

Some stores were offloading the fruit for as little as 25¢ a punnet at the weekend. Sabotaged punnets have been reported as far north as Townsville and as far south as Victoria. But health authorities are reluctant to detail numbers and locations of spiked strawberries, fearing this may encourage copycats.

“All reports of contaminations are being fully investigated, but no other brands are being withdrawn at this time,” Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

“If you still have Berry Licious, Berry Obsession and Donnybrook-branded strawberries at home you should return them to the store or throw them away. For all other brands, our advice remains. If in doubt, throw them out ... (or) make sure you chop before you chomp.”

Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association spokeswoman Jennifer Rowling said the public could help strawberry producers by continuing to buy the fruit.

Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm owner Laura Hendriksen said growers were doing it tough.

“We are in peak production so it will kind of impact now,” she said. “Continue supporting strawberry farmers so we can ride through this.”

She slammed the actions of strawberry saboteurs as “very silly, very stupid” and hoped the public would see it as isolated incidents.

“Of course it’s going to affect the farmer but it’s something we hope the public will be supportive and see it for what it is,” she said.

“It’s the first time something like this has ever happened.”