A potato shortage is set to hit Australia in the lead up to Christmas, impacting the availability of hot chips.
The potato shortage is being blamed on wet weather conditions in key growing regions, which has led to a smaller than expected crop. This has put pressure on the supply of potatoes, and as a result, the price of potatoes has risen sharply in recent weeks.
While the potato shortage is not expected to last long, it is likely to cause some disruption in the lead up to Christmas. Hot chips are a popular Christmas food, and the shortage is likely to impact the availability of hot chips during the festive season.
Kathryn Myers, vice president of the Victorian Farmers’ Federation, told the Today show that the potato shortage is a wait-and-see situation.
“This has been a year of significant and heavy rainfall in every potato-growing region. The main culprit is the wet weather that has hit many parts of Australia over the past few months and has made it difficult for growers to harvest their crops, with many potatoes being lost to rot and disease,” Ms Myers said.
The potato shortage is expected to ease in the new year, as new crops come on line. In the meantime, Australians will just have to make do with less chips this Christmas.