Supermarkets have been hit by an unexpected product shortage as a result of the ongoing weather and supply chain issues in Australia.

Farmers have been warning of a national potato shortage for months after huge amounts of crops were “wiped out” by wild weather earlier in the year. In the aftermath, pubs and restaurants began reporting difficulties getting hold of hot chips as supplies dwindled and costs surged. Now another potato item has been hit, with supermarkets reporting potato chip stock levels have been “impacted” by the adverse weather.

PepsiCo Australia, which manufactures some of the country’s most beloved chips including Smith’s, Twisties, Sunbites, Burger Rings and Tasty Toobs, said it could be several months before supermarket shelves return to normal.

“High levels of rainfall have impacted some potato crops, and while we are managing potato supply, we have been working closely with our retail partners to ensure our brands continue to be widely available,” a spokesperson for the retail giant told news.com.au.

“Consumers can still have confidence that their favourite chips will be available at their local retailers in the coming months.”

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It’s understood the potato chip shortage is affecting major Australian supermarkets, including Coles, Woolworths and Aldi with availability varying across the country.

“Due to supply chain issues affecting suppliers, some brands of potato chips may be unavailable,” a Coles spokesperson told news.com.au. “We have plenty of snacking options available for customers whose favourite chip brand may not be on shelf when they shop.”

The popular product is the latest in a long run of grocery items that have been affected by the weather crisis which has included a nationwide lettuce shortage as well as chickpeas and various cold and flu items. Shoppers on social media have been poking fun at the situation, with some declaring it “the last straw”.

The current potato issue has been affecting hot chips – namely the precut and frozen variety for several months with restaurants warning customers will have to pay more for the salty snack.

One restaurant owner in Adelaide explained there just aren’t “enough potatoes to go around” after the floods in NSW and QLD prevented farmers from being able to harvest the vegetable, ruining the crop.

“Farmers haven’t been able to pull up potatoes and the potatoes they have pulled up, they can’t use,” Daniel Diamanti, from Chicken Shack in Plympton, told The Advertiser last week.

He explained as a result his supplier had “stopped making our brand of chip for now”, instead using a “lower grade potato” that results in a “different chip all together”.

“The issue with that is, say there are 20 shops in Adelaide all using another chip now, we’re smashing those stocks, and they’re going to run out in a month or two,” he said.

One pub in NSW displayed a sign declaring they were “unable to offer bowls of chips and loaded fries” as a result of the hot chip shortage in January.

It has been predicted the damage to potato crops is in the high millions, leaving farmers struggling to make ends meet.

This article originally appeared on news.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission. 

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