Aldi freezer photo a sign Australia’s frozen chip shortage is over
A photo from the freezer aisle at a Queensland Aldi store has sparked a huge response from Aussies, hopeful it’s a sign our months-long frozen chip shortage is over.
Lifestyle
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A photo from the freezer aisle at a Queensland Aldi store has sparked a huge response from Australians, hopeful it’s a sign our months-long frozen chip shortage is over.
Wet weather, increased production costs, and restrictions on international imports last year led to a widespread lack of frozen potato products in supermarkets and takeaway shops across the country – sparking purchasing limits and heftier prices.
But a picture shared to the popular Aldi Fans Australia Facebook group this week showed dozens of bags of the snack for sale.
“Chippies!” the man captioned his post. “Imported from Belgium, but, I’ll take them.”
Other shoppers were equally as enthusiastic.
“I got some this week, haven’t seen them for months,” one commented.
While a second wrote: “Stop teasing! I bet my local will be empty.”
The post is another sign that empty freezer shelves could be a thing of the past, as potato farmers and factories kick into high gear to meet the hunger for the easy-bake staple that has been missing from supermarkets for months.
With potato harvests underway in Tasmania and Victoria (Australia’s largest spud production areas) and chip factories operating at capacity, consumers could see potato products in supermarket freezers in the coming weeks.
Speaking to ABC Rural at the end of March, Victorian Farmers Federation vice president of horticulture Katherine Myers said she was hopeful the current harvest will meet short-term demand.
“We should start to see improved availability of chips in fish and chip shops, and on the shelves as the harvest progresses,” Ms Myers said.
She added factories were “up and running” with spuds from South Australia and from the Victoria and NSW Riverina area, with the Central Highlands around Ballarat set to follow suit.
Head of the Tasmanian Simplot potato grower committee Leigh Elphinstone told the national broadcaster his harvest was looking good, with minimal “reject” potatoes thrown aside.
But both he and Ms Myers warned another shortage could be on its way as soon as next year due to the ripple effect of the international economic and less-than-ideal conditions that prompted it in the first place.
“Because there is a smaller volume planted than desired, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s going to be the same chip shortage for next year,” Mr Elphinstone told the ABC.
A wetter than usual spring last year delayed paddock preparations and crop planting for the 2023 harvest, leading to lower overall yields.
Ms Myers echoed his warning, saying “total yields are expected to be down this year” in Australia and overseas – especially neighbouring New Zealand, which has faced its own battles with catastrophic weather.
“I don’t imagine their yield has been phenomenal this year,” she said, adding that the industry “won’t be back to normal for a fair while”.
– with Georgina Noack
Originally published as Aldi freezer photo a sign Australia’s frozen chip shortage is over
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