Will potato shortage mean chips are down?
Floods in Europe wreck crops – and Christmas dinners could be at risk
THE UK is facing a shortage of chips due to high demand for British potatoes from the Continent.
Experts predict our crop will be in short supply after floods decimated potato production in Europe.
A report revealed frozen chips are likely to be particularly affected – with a warning of steep price rises.
There are also fears the traditional British Christmas dinner could be under threat this year from the potato shortage and a dip in poultry production.
Pubs and eateries planning for December have been advised to ‘order early or plan alternatives’ to the traditional turkey roast dinner.
Lynx Purchasing’s summer market update report said a ‘perfect storm’ of soaring inflation, labour shortages, environmental disaster, Brexit, rising distribution and fuel costs and the continuing impact of Covid19 will trigger ongoing food shortages and spiralling bills.
Rachel Dobson, managing director at the catering and hospitality buying firm, said: ‘The recent floods in Europe have affected potato growers and processors in the region, with varieties grown for frozen chips particularly affected – meaning that UK pubs and restaurants serving popular dishes like fish and chips could find their usual supplier isn’t able to deliver. ‘The shortage abroad is likely to have a knock-on effect on availability of UK-grown potatoes, and come Christmas, we could find that the roast potato, a staple of festive dinners, is also in short supply.’ She added: ‘Even for anyone who has worked in purchasing for some time, this is as significant and widespread a challenge as we’ve seen.’ Belgium, Germany and Holland were among countries hit by catastrophic flooding last month that killed at least 228 people and destroyed homes and businesses.
An estimated 20,000 hectares of farming land were also damaged in the extreme weather.
A report from the Irish Farmers’ Association this week said that the continent’s potato crop has been badly affected by the
‘A significant challenge’
rain and floods. The potato crop is not yet ready for harvest, but farmers have reported high levels of blight and are not expecting a large or high quality yield.
The situation with the UK’s supply is not clear this year as it comes after two poor harvests in 2018 and 2019 – caused by heavy rainfall following heatwaves – and restricted supply last year because restaurants were closed in lockdowns.