Queensland potato growers profit from potato shortage in Australia

A national potato shortage in Australia is providing a boom for growers in far north Queensland.

All brushed potatoes in Woolworths supermarkets in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are now being sourced from the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, after wet weather and frosts significantly reduced southern growers' production.

Growcom's David Nix says many far north Queensland growers are benefitting from the national shortage.

"Potatoes in 50-kilo sacks are bringing $1 a kilo at the moment back to the farmer,"he said.

"The only time we ever saw that was in 1990."