Potato shortage hits as South Australian growers struggle with extreme weather
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Limited potatoes are left at some supermarkets in South Australia. (ABC Rural: Jessica Schremmer)
Empty potato shelves at some major supermarkets are impacting consumers as growers battle to overcome widespread shortages.
Extreme weather and drought across South Australia have reduced harvest and caused quality issues for fresh potatoes.
The state produces 80 per cent of Australia's fresh potatoes, with major growing areas in the Riverland, Mallee and Virginia.
Mitolo Family Farms usually grows 200,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes each year.
Sales and marketing head John Tselekidis said it had been the toughest season in more than a decade.
John Tselekidis says hot temperatures affect fresh potato quality. (Supplied: Mitolo Family Farms)
"We were down 10 to 12 per cent in yields, which had far-reaching adverse effects on the market," Mr Tselekidis said.
"There are significant shortages because it wasn't just us, all fresh market suppliers grow in similar regions."
Hot temperatures followed by cold and windy conditions led to lower production and quality issues, including skin staining and cold cracking.
"Skin staining made some of the potatoes unsaleable or not meeting specification to be packed for retail customers," Mr Tselekidis said.
Major supermarkets have been providing notices to customers with information on supply and produce appearance.
Price jump
The low supply of fresh potatoes has also led to a spike in produce prices.South Australian-based potato grower Pye Group general manager Renee Pye said she had never seen such high prices.
Potato growers are battling to meet demand due to reduced production. (Supplied: Renee Pye)
"They [prices] probably increased between 50 and 200 per cent," Ms Pye said.
While the company was trying its best to fill orders, Ms Pye estimated production had been reduced by 20 to 30 per cent due to the drought.
"We're just not seeing as many potatoes coming out of the ground as what we had planned on, so we're short of what we can be supplying," she said.
"I think as consumers, we get a bit tangled up in making sure that our produce looks perfect, and so a lot of waste happens," Ms Reidy said.
Customers at supermarkets in South Australia are advised about fresh potato supply and appearance. (ABC News)
"If a potato has a mark on it and it made the shelves at your local fruit and vegetable store, it's still going to taste perfectly fine."
Ms Reidy wanted consumers to better understand the extreme weather conditions farmers battled to grow fresh potatoes.
"If we go out and stand in the hailstorm or extreme heat, we don't fare very well, so the same thing happens with fresh produce," she said.
Next harvest outlook
Fresh potatoes are grown year-round in South Australia, with farmers expected to soon start harvesting their spring season crops in Virginia.Despite the upcoming new season harvest, Mr Tselekidis expected the low supply to last for another month.
"There's been widespread shortages from late-August all the way through to now and will continue for at least another three or four weeks," he said.
A Coles spokesperson said they expected supply to improve soon, as the new season harvest got underway.
Renee Pye says Pye Group is under pressure to fill all of its fresh potato orders. (ABC News: Sam Bradbrook)
"Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing a seasonal dip in potato supply, as our growers reach the end of last year's crop and get ready to harvest for the new season," they said in a statement.
A Woolworths spokesperson said they expected "things to return to normal in [the] coming weeks" with the new season supply.
"We still have sufficient supply of potatoes for our customers, but drought conditions from late-2024 and frosts earlier this year have had some impacts on growing yields," they said in a statement.
By Jessica Schremmer
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