Burnett potato famine crippling businesses and families

Frustrations over the ongoing nationwide shortage of frozen (and then hot) chips are boiling over at Nanango, with residents comparing it to the Irish Potato Famine and businesses upping their prices to keep doors open.

A nationwide shortage of forzen chips has become the frustration of many Burnett hospitality owners struggling to balance the rapidly rising inflation costs and customer satisfaction.

A nationwide shortage of hot chips has become the frustration of many Burnett hospitality owners who are struggling to balance rapid inflation costs and customer satisfaction.

Shortiez CFC Nanango Fried Chicken owner Chris Dobb said it has been an extremely stressful time for his business, having to take the cheap favourites off the menu.

Nanango Youth Member excited to represent region

“We need to get the money to keep our doors open and then customers get frustrated,” Mr Dobb said.

“Families loved our $4 chip wraps which we just can’t do anymore.

‘No bloody koalas left’: Is farm restoration too little, too late?

“I used to pay $31 for a box of our favoured branded chips and now I pay $47 for a brand I’ve never dealt with.”

Mr Dobb and his wife have owned Shortiez for nearly twelve years and are now struggling, with the shortage biting during a key trading period.

“We ran out of chips over the Easter weekend,” Mr Dobbs said.

“It’s all about being on it, getting onto the suppliers and keeping good rapport with the sales representatives.”

This year’s produce is behind schedule compared to the production rates in previous years due to cold and floods.

Social media has become a hot place to vent about the chip shortage, which one Burnett resident saying “it’s like a repeat of the Irish Potato Famine”.

Another social media user said the region needed to take steps to prevent a repeat in the future.

“We need to start growing our own potatoes and stop relying on other states,” he said.

Victorian potato farmer Bernie White said this year’s produce had fallen behind compared to production rates in previous years, due to cold weather and floods.

“We are already four to six weeks behind schedule,” Mr White said.

Burnett hospitality owner Andrew Reid said the entire region had suffered from the impact of the shortage.

“My supplier on the Sunshine Coast normally sells 8000 boxed a week and this week they only had 400 boxes to sell,” Mr Reid said.

A Department of Agriculture and Fisheries spokesman said potato stocks across Queensland were recovering following shortages caused by major flooding events a year ago across Australia’s eastern states.

“Harvesting of potatoes in southern states has seen good supplies on the market since March 2023,” a spokesman said.

“Harvesting of Lockyer Valley potato crops is due to commence in May and will continue until September, with an optimistic outlook for the yield and quality of those crops,” he said.

Originally published as Burnett potato famine crippling businesses and families