Australia: Hot chips to fall victim to mounting price hikes

Gone are the days when spare change was enough to get your hands on our salty favourites, as the cost of living continues to eat up our savings.

A 4kg bag of humble potatoes is set to join iceberg lettuce in the $12 club at Australian supermarkets in coming weeks as farmers warn of a potential 30 per cent price rise.

And with a price hike in potatoes comes a jump in the price of our beloved hot chips, with rises expected at restaurants, fish and chip shops, fast-food chains and pubs.

Sports fans can expect to feel the pinch as the footy favourites jump in price over the coming weeks, with MCG food outlets looking to make the shift.

“The Melbourne Cricket Club, as manager of the MCG, and our hospitality partner Delaware North are reviewing food and beverage prices in line with current supply chain challenges,” an MCG spokesman said.

Between 2015 and 2017, the MCG committed to a price roll back on popular food items, dropping the price of a small chips from $5.60 to $4.20.

Footy fans can expect to pay more for hot chips at the MCG.

Footy fans can expect to pay more for hot chips at the MCG.

While Blues and Cats fans at the G last weekend were able to grab a small chips for $4.50, footy lovers can expect to pay nearly $6 for the salty favourites if the MCG decides to match the 30 per cent price rise.

Although the shift may be disappointing to some fans, the stadium will still beat prices at takeaway shops that are looking likely to increase a small serve to close to $9.

Popular fast-food chains are also expected to join the pack, with consumers likely to see a mark-up in price in the coming weeks.

KFC and Subway made the decision to substitute cabbage for lettuce as prices climbed in early June, while Hungry Jack’s began serving up their burgers with less of the leafy vegetable.

Fuel price surges, a jump in production costs, wages and electricity prices are being blamed for eye-watering potato prices, with the cost of fertiliser tripling as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Potato farmers are struggling to keep up as the cost of production soars. Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian

Potato farmers are struggling to keep up as the cost of production soars. Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian

NSW potato grower James Weir told the Today show on Tuesday that cost of production was the central problem.

“We need more as producers to be able to make it sustainable for us,” Mr Weir said.

“Fertiliser prices have really caught us by surprise and there is no end in sight for that either.”

The NSW floods have also played a major role in many farmers losing crops.

“We grow seed potatoes here in Crookwell and we’ve had to cancel a lot of our orders due to losing our crops. And I know some of our clients are not even going to plant a potato this year because around Sydney their farms have just gone under water,” Mr Weir said.

“I‘m not sure when it will get easier. If we don’t see the increases in prices on our end, I think a lot of farmers are in trouble.”