Consumers in Australia should see more potato products in supermarket freezers in the coming weeks as chip factories operate at capacity to meet demand, but the industry warns another shortage could be on the horizon, as Laurissa Smith, Fiona Breen, and Meg Powell reports for ABC Rural.
Wet weather and fewer potato imports in 2022 resulted in empty frozen chip shelves in supermarkets across the country and trying times for fish and chips shops, but growers say the current potato harvest should quell the short-term demand.
Potato harvests are underway in Tasmania and Victoria, Australia’s largest production areas for french fries. Processing companies Simplot and McCain have opened up their factories in both states, turning spuds into chips for fast food outlets, food service and supermarkets.
But some growers warn that smaller plantings and lower yields could see a repeat of the potato shortage again next year.
Source: ABC Rural. Read the full story and watch videos here
Photo: Sorting through the spuds in Northern Tasmania. Credit ABC Rural: Laurissa Smith
