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PepsiCo Australia, which makes potato chips brands such as Red Rock Deli chips and Smith’s, confirmed the potato chips shortage in supermarkets last week. The company’s spokesman said that the supply of potato chips could be affected for several months.
It turned out that the severe flooding in South Eastern part of Australia caused a potato shortage in the country and eventually impacted the supply of the popular chips snack. In fact, supermarkets across Australia are already feeling the potato chip shortage as they are unable to refill their shelves with new stocks.
They also cited some issues with the supply chain and said these are also contributing to the shortage, as per Yahoo News Australia. The most recent flooding was a big blow to potato farmers as they lost their crops this year. The invasion of Ukraine by the Russians has also triggered price increases in fertilizers, fuel, and transport costs and these are contributing factors to the potato chip shortage.
"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," PepsiCo Australia’s spokesman told the press in an interview.
In any case, due to the situation, the Aussies may not find some of their favorite potato chip snack brands in supermarkets, even in the major ones, including Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi. it was reported that Aldi also told a news outlet that they are currently keeping an eye on the "potential impact of the current flood emergency in Victoria."
Woolworths also posted a notice for their customers and suggested it may also not have enough potato chips to offer so, it told everyone that there are other snack options to enjoy. The supermarket said that they may have to try other snacks in the store until the potato shortage is resolved.
"Due to supply chain issues affecting suppliers, some brands of potato chips may be unavailable," the spokesman of Coles told The Guardian.
Moreover, PepsiCo Australia clarified that while some of its potato chip brands are temporarily unavailable, its other chip brands, such as Twisties and Doritos, are not affected by the shortage. Meanwhile, the weather system in Australia predicted unstable weather last week. It said that big storms are coming and are probably “one of the most significant storm days we have had this season."
