Australian Defence Force halts purchase of strawberries while public supports farmers

THEY fire missiles, diffuse bombs and bring brutal regimes to their knees, but the Australian Defence Force appears scared of the humble strawberry.

• Needles in fruit: The problem spreads
• Where ‘berry terrorism’ has occurred in NSW

THEY are trained in warfare, its lethal weapons and perilous tactics but the Australian ­Defence Force appears scared of the humble strawberry.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison was urging Australians to support the strawberry industry, decimated by sabotage, by cutting up the berries if they were worried about ­secreted pins, the ADF simply stopped buying strawberries.

It has come under fire from growers and a prominent former soldier, after its catering contractors halted purchases from struggling farmers for two weeks as a “risk assessment” was conducted.

Strawberry grower Tina McPherson said parts of her business has been “destroyed” by the crisis. Picture: Paul Beutel

MORE FROM BEN PIKE:

Tenants and unit owners stung in ‘cruel’ deal

Councils spend millions ‘terror-proofing’ suburbs

The ADF, which buys about eight tonnes of the strawberries a year, only started buying them again this week, ­finally following the PM’s advice to cut them up.

“Based on product recall information, contractors initially paused strawberry orders and conducted a risk assessment,” an ADF spokesman told The Sunday Telegraph.

“Following that risk assessment, contractors expect to ­resume ordering strawberries this week. ADF catering staff have mitigated the risk by ­ensuring strawberries are cut before consumption.”

Qantas rallied staff from across the company to chop up a tonne of strawberries in a bid to support Australian farmers after the contamination crisis.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace promoted the berries after the crisis began. Picture: Lachie Millard

The temporary ban on purchases for the navy, army and air force has angered strawberry growers who have been forced to dump tonnes of produce as more than 200 cases of adulteration are investigated.

Police believe the majority of contaminations, which originated in Queensland, are the work of copycats.

Queensland strawberry grower Tina McPherson, who sells most of her product into high-end NSW retailers, said parts of her business has been “destroyed” by the crisis.

“It seems absurd that the ADF can diffuse a bomb but they can’t cut up a strawberry,” Mrs McPherson said.

Workers pack punnets at the Ashbern strawberry farm on the Sunshine Coast this week.

A worker performs a quality check.

“Our politicians are saying ‘cut them up, don’t cut them out’ yet the ADF are doing a risk assessment on consumption. There is a certain irony in that.”

Former army sergeant Andrew Street, who served more than 70 missions in Iraq, was one of two Australian soldiers attached to a secret military unit that inspired the Hollywood movie The Hurt Locker.

Strawberries were everywhere ... on tables, in jam and on scones with cream ... at this Country Women's Association function on September 22. Picture: Suzanne Simonot

“It’s a classic example of senior officers and the plague of ‘force protection’ that has led to Aussie soldiers being considered to be wrapped in cottonwool,” he said.

“Can’t eat strawberries, can’t complete assault courses (jumping across sandpits and high walls now banned) and won’t deploy anything but special forces into war fighting roles when other countries send regular troops.”

Queensland Police said 100 detectives from the State Crime Command have followed up 600 lines of inquiry.