No more hot chips? Potato shortage leaves Aussies in panic just before Christmas
- Replies 10
As the silly season rapidly approaches, Aussies all over the country are starting to stock up on supplies in preparation for Christmas – but there's one key ingredient that might be missing from our celebrations this year.
Yep, you guessed it: potatoes! That's right; we might have to forego our annual hot chip tradition due to a national shortage of spuds.
Due to crop devastation caused by floods and harsh weather, potato farmers warn that potatoes will be in short supply during the month of December.
Many farmers in the Ballarat area have complained that the weather has been too wet to start sowing potatoes, and one farmer who did so reported that a portion of his successfully planted paddock had been washed away just days later.
'We have a three or four-metre-wide drain cutting right through the potatoes we sowed,' Clarkes Hill farmer Greg Carlson explained. 'It's just washed into the dam.'
Late October is typically when most potato crops are planted in the region, but this year it looks like the best time to do so won't be until very close to Christmas Eve. That's why you're seeing such severe shortages across the country right now.
Things have only gotten worse as prices for potatoes continue to skyrocket while supplies dwindle. In fact, some growers say the cost of producing spuds has doubled in recent months.
Potato growers are bracing for a 23 per cent drop in production compared to the same time last year due to increased manufacturing costs, transport issues, and late planting.
And unfortunately for us regular folks, supermarkets aren't also willing to budge on prices. Ouch!
Following this, multiple establishments have been forced to adjust their menus, and warning signs have been placed in food establishments across the country.
In recent weeks, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants have issued notices to customers, informing them of the severity of the potato shortage that has been exacerbated by the delayed harvest, rising fertiliser and transport costs.
Venues all over Australia – from pubs and restaurants to hospitals and schools – are feeling the pinch as they struggle to get their hands on enough potatoes (not just for chips but also mashed potato and other popular dishes).
Unprecedented rain and flooding that hit the country at the beginning of the year have caused crops to suffer, resulting in a food shortage that has caused prices to rise.
Other fruits and vegetables have gone up in price as well, with lettuce, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli all costing more over the past couple of months.
You read it here, members! Sadly, it looks like hot chips won't be making it onto the holiday menu this year… Do you have another alternative in mind? Let us know in the comments!
Yep, you guessed it: potatoes! That's right; we might have to forego our annual hot chip tradition due to a national shortage of spuds.
Australia is in the middle of a hot chip crisis with only a few weeks until Christmas. Credit: Unsplash/Mitchell Luo.
Due to crop devastation caused by floods and harsh weather, potato farmers warn that potatoes will be in short supply during the month of December.
Many farmers in the Ballarat area have complained that the weather has been too wet to start sowing potatoes, and one farmer who did so reported that a portion of his successfully planted paddock had been washed away just days later.
'We have a three or four-metre-wide drain cutting right through the potatoes we sowed,' Clarkes Hill farmer Greg Carlson explained. 'It's just washed into the dam.'
Late October is typically when most potato crops are planted in the region, but this year it looks like the best time to do so won't be until very close to Christmas Eve. That's why you're seeing such severe shortages across the country right now.
Potato farmers say that the cost of growing potatoes has increased. Credit: Unsplash/Eric Prouzet.
Things have only gotten worse as prices for potatoes continue to skyrocket while supplies dwindle. In fact, some growers say the cost of producing spuds has doubled in recent months.
Potato growers are bracing for a 23 per cent drop in production compared to the same time last year due to increased manufacturing costs, transport issues, and late planting.
And unfortunately for us regular folks, supermarkets aren't also willing to budge on prices. Ouch!
Following this, multiple establishments have been forced to adjust their menus, and warning signs have been placed in food establishments across the country.
In recent weeks, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants have issued notices to customers, informing them of the severity of the potato shortage that has been exacerbated by the delayed harvest, rising fertiliser and transport costs.
Venues all over Australia – from pubs and restaurants to hospitals and schools – are feeling the pinch as they struggle to get their hands on enough potatoes (not just for chips but also mashed potato and other popular dishes).
Other fruits and vegetables have gone up in price as well, with lettuce, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and broccoli all costing more over the past couple of months.
You read it here, members! Sadly, it looks like hot chips won't be making it onto the holiday menu this year… Do you have another alternative in mind? Let us know in the comments!
.png){kind=icon}
