That’s forced fish and chip shops to charge more for a portion of fries. Further price hikes loom, said Andrew Crook, president of the federation representing more than 10,000 fish and chip shops across the country: “It’s going to be a disaster for us this year. I’ve never seen prices of potatoes be that high at this time of the year. We are getting squeezed.”
In the UK, a ton of fresh potatoes surged to $390 last month, the third-highest on records going back to the 1950s, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. Processing potato futures for delivery in April have doubled this year in Leipzig, Germany.
With Europe accounting for eight of the 10 biggest potato eating nations, there’s likely to be fierce competition for the starchy tubers this season.
With potatoes thriving in wetter climates, the UK harvest will probably drop by at least 8 percent according to the AHDB. According to Bloomberg, crops will be even worse in continental Europe, where the UK usually sources top-up imports, triggering the prospect of a scramble for supplies.
