Thieves harvest broccoli

Press, 30 June 1989, Page 1

Thieves harvest broccoli

Thieves helped themselves to about $l5OO of prime broccoli near Southbridge this week. The offenders selected and hand-cut the best plants over about a hectare.

A Sedgemere market gardener discovered the theft when he went to harvest his four hectares of brocolli yesterday morning. Constable Alan Brown, of Leeston, said the farmer had checked

the broccoli on Monday or Tuesday and considered it not quite ready to harvest. The farmer had walked through the broccoli and found it intact. " Constable Brown said an estimated 300 kg had been stolen. The quantity stolen would have occupied about two pallet boxes. He said he believed the offenders

needed at least a utility truck to remove it. The police were satisfied the brocolli had not yet been offered through the markets, said Constable Brown. “It has got to be sold from the back door.” Constable Brown asked that anyone offered broccoli in suspicious circumstances call the police.