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The price of hot chips could rise this festive season due to a looming shortage of fresh potatoes due to recent wet weather on Australia's east coast.
- Coles has introduced a purchase limit of two items per transaction
- Pubs and takeaway shops might need to offer alternatives or raise the price of hot chips
- The NSW Farmers Association said there was no shortage of fresh potatoes
According to the Australian Hotels Association, this has been compounded by international shortages and supply chain and transport issues.
The national hotel's association says floods in Australia and droughts overseas have crippled supply, with prices set to rise up to 40 per cent.
And while hot chips have been a staple on pub lunches and takeaway stores across the nation, customers may soon be finding alternatives on the menu.
"The increase in the price of potatoes puts more financial pressure on pubs already facing increased costs including power, beer excise, drinks over the bar, transport and staff," AHA national president David Canny said.
"Already, in the lead-up to Christmas, venues are being warned to start using other veggies with meals instead of the traditional chip, or, of course, there's always the healthy salad option for pub-goers."
Supermarket giant Coles on Thursday introduced a temporary purchase limit of no more than two items per transaction.
This is to help "maintain availability for all customers," Coles said in a statement.
"Poor weather in the eastern states has affected supply of some frozen potato products across the industry.
"We thank customers for their patience while we work hard with suppliers to minimise disruption and return stock to normal levels in the coming months."
While drought overseas has stymied potato production, flooding in NSW and Victoria has disrupted the re-planting of crops here.
Potato grower Geoff Moar from the southern Riverina district in NSW, close to the Victorian border, said he was experiencing the delay.
"We are now into the period where the crop is in the paddock growing and it's just way behind in its normal time by the wet weather," he said.
"The shortage will be felt over the next six months period."
Multi-pub operator Lewis Leisure, which has hotels across Qld and NSW, said if the chip supply shortage extended beyond six months, the cost might need to be passed onto patrons.
"We use around 200,000 kilograms of chips per year across our four venues so we could be looking at an additional half a million dollars in costs over a year," Lewis Leisure head Brad Jenkins said.