Cost of living crisis: Potatoes and hot chips the latest culprits of making your wallet lighter

Takeaway shop owners across the Far North say they are preparing to hike the price of an Aussie favourite.

TAKEAWAY shop owners across the Far North say they are preparing to hike the price of hot chips and potato scallops as the cost of the humble spud is set to soar.

Multiple businesses have confirmed to the Cairns Post they will need to start to increase their chip prices due to the rising costs.

Adelaide visitor Claire Sherlock said she had noticed the prices of items were more expensive in Cairns.

“We’ve been out a couple of times and food is a bit more expensive,” she said.

“You have to run with it.”

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Ms Sherlock said hot chips were the go-to snack.

“It’s gonna be a big problem. We eat a lot of sweet potato and fries,” she said.

“Pretty much most days we have mashed potatoes and vegetables, it’s one of the core ones as it’s a filler.”

Shoppers at major supermarkets could be expected to pay up to $12 for a 4kg bag of potatoes.

Tablelands to Tabletop fruit and vegetable delivery service owner Angela Nason said the local potatoes have yet to be harvested but it was understandable if they went up. “The potatoes have been very cheap for a lot of years,” she said.

“We are talking a dollar a kilo. I think the price should’ve been increased decades ago.

“It’s one of those things, I don’t know why potatoes are so cheap. What makes one product cheaper than an another. It’s all relative, it still costs wages.”

Ms Nason said the cost-of-living had increased significantly

“Packaged food costs have increased, fuel has skyrocketed,” she said. “The extra spending money families had, they just don’t have anymore. It’s heartbreaking.”

Mia Sherlock, 9, eats hot chips on the Cairns Esplanade. Picture: Brendan Radke

Ms Nason said the unfortunate thing was that people would be forced to buy the cheaper options.

“The sad reality is a lot of families who were doing it tough will start leaving the fresh produce on the shelves, because they will have to decide where to spend their money,” she said.

“The blueberries and the strawberries and all the other produce that’s taken a price hike are going to be the ones on the shelf.”

Ms Nason said despite the price increase some farmers have still tried to keep it low.

“Our sweet potato farmer has kept his prices the same over the past two years,” she said.

“A lot of our farmers haven’t increased prices, probably about 20 per cent have increased their prices, but most have kept quite low.”

But farmers are still struggling to absorb the costs.

“The cost of production is increasing but the price return that growers are getting paid for fresh vegetables isn’t mirroring the cost environment that they’re facing,” AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote said.

Originally published as Cost of living crisis: Potatoes and hot chips the latest culprits of making your wallet lighter