I remember when I first got fired.
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I got mad, but I didn’t get even and I certainly did not start sticking needles left, right and centre to put an entire country’s health at risk.
Needle contamination across Australia has consumers fearful and growers devastated.
Videos have emerged online of thousands of tonnes of strawberries being dumped in open pits, with them entire seasons worth of hard work and the livelihoods of entire families.
And for what?
It’s unclear whether the contamination culprits are after notoriety or they’re just plain bored, either way they’ve created a national crisis and pushed already struggling farmers closer to the brink.
It goes to show, a little stupidity can go a very long way.
To date a team of more than 100 police officers have been tasked with tracking down the perpetrator, with copy cat incidents believed to be springing up across the country.
That’s 100 less police officers on the streets looking after our neighbourhoods.
And it’s far from a far flung drama, just last week contaminated strawberries were reportedly found as close as Guyra and Inverell.
The Department of Agriculture has issued interim measures to the entire industry, mandating that all growers X-Ray or metal detect their produce before sending it to market.
It’s still unclear at which point the needles are being pushed into produce, but it’s unlikely growers are shooting themselves in the foot.
The effects of one, or a few people’s idiocy has Australia’s agricultural fruit industry teetering on the knife’s edge.
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Berry Obsession, Berry Licious and Donnybrook Berries have recalled their strawberries nationwide.
Even supermarket chains Coles and Aldi have taken them off the shelves altogether as a safety precaution.
So whoever the culprit is, someone needs to sit this fruitcake down because their actions have got the entire country in a jam.
