快去囤薯条！

A french-fry famine may be nigh, warn farmers who’ve experienced a bad potato crop this year.

今年土豆收成不好的农民警告说，一场炸薯条饥荒可能就要来临了。

Much of this year’s potato crop has been damaged by cold, wet weather — and potato processors are now in a frenzy to buy and ship the product across North America, so french fries can stay on menus, Bloomberg reports.

据彭博社报道，今年大部分土豆作物都受到寒冷潮湿天气的影响，土豆加工商现在正疯狂地在北美购买和运输这种产品，这样薯条就可以留在菜单上了。

The bad carb crop weather began in October, when a frost forced farmers in Alberta, Canada, and Idaho to dig up and store their damaged crop. Growers in North Dakota, Minnesota and Canada’s Manitoba, were even worse off: Snow and rain forced them to abandon potential potatoes.

恶劣的碳水化合物作物天气始于10月，当时一场霜冻迫使加拿大阿尔伯塔省和爱达荷州的农民挖出并储存他们受损的作物。北达科他州、明尼苏达州和加拿大马尼托巴省的种植者情况更糟:雨雪天气迫使他们放弃种植土豆。

And the potato problems pair particularly poorly with an increasing demand for fries in Canada, home of poutine (a comforting dish of fries and cheese curds topped with gravy), as Northerners take more and more to the deep-fried side dish. The combination means potato prices, and fries, may be more expensive in months to come, senior Rabobank grains and oilseeds analyst Stephen Nicholson tells Bloomberg. This goes for fry-eaters in the U.S. as well as those overseas, he says.

而土豆的问题与加拿大对薯条需求的增长尤其不相称，因为加拿大人越来越喜欢油炸配菜。荷兰合作银行资深谷物和油籽分析师斯蒂芬·尼克尔森告诉彭博社，这意味着未来几个月土豆和薯条的价格可能会更高。他说，这适用于美国和海外的油炸食品消费者。

“French-fry demand has just been outstanding lately, and so, supplies can’t meet the demand,” Idaho Potato Commission industry-relations director Travis Blacker says.

爱达荷州马铃薯委员会产业关系主管特拉维斯·布莱克说：“最近，薯条需求一直很突出，因此，供应无法满足需求。”。

The US Department of Agriculture estimates a 6.1 percent drop in potato output — the lowest since 2010 — and the United Potato Growers of Canada estimate that 18 percent of Manitoba’s potato plants will go unharvested.

美国农业部估计，土豆产量将下降6.1%，这是2010年以来的最低水平。加拿大马铃薯种植者联合会估计，马尼托巴省18%的土豆将无法收获。

And in addition to being pricier, fries may also be shorter: Crop damage is causing potatoes to come in smaller, processors say.

而且，除了价格更高外，薯条的长度也可能更短:加工商表示，作物受损导致土豆的尺寸变小。

Foodies have faced this kind of crisis before. In January, the Super Bowl was almost derailed when a fuel shortage in Mexico threatened avocado supplies, endangering guacamole’s primary ingredient. And a butter shortage in France briefly endangered the croissant in 2017. Most recently, New York City chefs have lamented the severe shortage of scallops.

美食家们以前也遇到过这种危机。今年1月，由于墨西哥的燃料短缺威胁到鳄梨的供应，威胁到了鳄梨酱的主要原料，超级碗比赛几乎陷入僵局。2017年，法国黄油短缺一度危及牛角面包。最近，纽约市的厨师们哀叹扇贝严重短缺。