America Braces For French Fry Shortage. Say It Ain't So!!

We're a nation that loves french fries, tater tots, baked and mashed potatoes and well, just about anything you can do with a spud. But now, we're facing a tsunami in the potato world which will lead to shorter supplies and most likely higher prices on all your favorite potato products. Growing regions faced harsh conditions in October, lashing potatoes with frost. According to Bloomberg, farmers in Alberta and Idaho were able to dig up some damaged crops for storage. But growers in Manitoba, North Dakota and Minnesota received snow and rain, forcing them to abandon some supplies in fields. Add to that an increase in fry-process capacity in Canada that boosted demand and you get the perfect potato storm that will lead to short supplies. It is expected that international costs will also rise as the U.S. will be hard-pressed to continue previous export levels.