The Canary Islands are witnessing a severe shortage of potatoes. Even worse, the supply from Israel and Egypt, which has temporarily replaced the supply from England, is on its last legs. British potatoes are still unable to enter the Canary Islands, leaving the closest local source as the Vilaflor harvest in Tenerife, which won't be available until November or December.
For this reason, the price of available potatoes has skyrocketed to €5 per kilo in most supermarkets, and the catering industry is substituting fresh potatoes with frozen products or is taking them off the menu.
Roberto Rodríguez, secretary of the San Isidro Market Board, has warned that the next few months are crucial for the potato supply industry: "Importers have played their cards well. We won't see local potatoes again until at least November, but that won’t solve the problem as we only produce a tiny fraction of what is consumed in the Canary Islands."
Source: canarianweekly.com