Get your chips while you can, POTATO prices set to soar in the coming weeks
- Replies 2
A little bad news, everyone…
After the price of iceberg lettuce went up to as much as $12 a head in some stores and broccoli and tomatoes sold for more than $12 a kilo, it looks like another supermarket staple is the next to have its price go through the roof.
Due to shortages and rising production costs, farmers are warning that potato prices could rise by as much as 30 per cent, meaning that your typical 4-kilogram bag of potatoes could cost as much as $12.
Potato prices are likely to go up next as farmers warn of shortages. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
'Our cost of production is the main driver here, fuel prices, electricity, wages, and also the cost of fertiliser are definitely driving prices up,' James Weir, a potato farmer from NSW, told Today.
'The fertiliser prices have really caught us by surprise, and there's no end in sight for that either.'
Tony Cummaudo, a Victorian potato farmer, said the same thing. 'The cost of production has gone up, between fertiliser, wages, machinery – everything has gone through the roof.'
'The high cost of living is affecting everybody – this has caused a flow-on effect for farmers,' he added.
Fiona Simson, president of the National Farmers' Federation, claims that farmers are dealing with 'eye-watering' production costs as a result of fertiliser prices that are up 89 per cent from last year and fuel prices that are up 50 per cent.
The ongoing flooding in large portions of New South Wales has also affected the availability of potatoes as some farmers have been unable to plant crops because their properties are regularly submerged in water.
There is a good chance that the price of hot chips will go up quite a bit as well. Credit: iStock.
Of course, as the prices for potatoes increase, the same goes for every dish made from them – and that includes our favourite hot chips.
In Western Australia, the only company that manufactures hot chips previously warned customers that prices would go up because their gas bill went up by almost half a million dollars in just the last month.
Brian Piesse, the non-executive chair of Bendotti Exporters, told ABC News that the company's gas bill had increased tremendously. 'Gas is a major cost of our production. So, we've had to announce another increase to reflect that,' he said.
McCain–one of the most popular brands of frozen chips in Australia–is also in price negotiations with 70 potato farmers about contracts for almost 100,000 tons of potatoes, which the farmers say are costing them more than ever.
Due to a shortage of potatoes and rising fuel costs, even in-store freshly made chips will probably see a price increase in the upcoming weeks.
What are your thoughts, folks? Have you already noticed that potatoes are now more expensive in grocery stores?
After the price of iceberg lettuce went up to as much as $12 a head in some stores and broccoli and tomatoes sold for more than $12 a kilo, it looks like another supermarket staple is the next to have its price go through the roof.
Due to shortages and rising production costs, farmers are warning that potato prices could rise by as much as 30 per cent, meaning that your typical 4-kilogram bag of potatoes could cost as much as $12.
Potato prices are likely to go up next as farmers warn of shortages. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
'Our cost of production is the main driver here, fuel prices, electricity, wages, and also the cost of fertiliser are definitely driving prices up,' James Weir, a potato farmer from NSW, told Today.
'The fertiliser prices have really caught us by surprise, and there's no end in sight for that either.'
Tony Cummaudo, a Victorian potato farmer, said the same thing. 'The cost of production has gone up, between fertiliser, wages, machinery – everything has gone through the roof.'
'The high cost of living is affecting everybody – this has caused a flow-on effect for farmers,' he added.
Fiona Simson, president of the National Farmers' Federation, claims that farmers are dealing with 'eye-watering' production costs as a result of fertiliser prices that are up 89 per cent from last year and fuel prices that are up 50 per cent.
The ongoing flooding in large portions of New South Wales has also affected the availability of potatoes as some farmers have been unable to plant crops because their properties are regularly submerged in water.
There is a good chance that the price of hot chips will go up quite a bit as well. Credit: iStock.
Of course, as the prices for potatoes increase, the same goes for every dish made from them – and that includes our favourite hot chips.
In Western Australia, the only company that manufactures hot chips previously warned customers that prices would go up because their gas bill went up by almost half a million dollars in just the last month.
Brian Piesse, the non-executive chair of Bendotti Exporters, told ABC News that the company's gas bill had increased tremendously. 'Gas is a major cost of our production. So, we've had to announce another increase to reflect that,' he said.
McCain–one of the most popular brands of frozen chips in Australia–is also in price negotiations with 70 potato farmers about contracts for almost 100,000 tons of potatoes, which the farmers say are costing them more than ever.
Due to a shortage of potatoes and rising fuel costs, even in-store freshly made chips will probably see a price increase in the upcoming weeks.
What are your thoughts, folks? Have you already noticed that potatoes are now more expensive in grocery stores?
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