Potato-chip shortage in Colorado due to soggy fields and switch to higher-profit crops

Potato-chip aficionados are discovering their cherished snack may be in short supply. And if they find it, they're likely to pay a bit more for it. The problem: not enough chipping spuds to supply manufacturers. "I wouldn't use the word 'shortage,' but supplies are fairly limited,"said Tim O'Connor, president and chief executive of the Denver-based U.S. Potato Board. "I know there have been some (retail) outages where not all products are available every day."Potatoes of all varieties are in shorter supply than usual because many farmers are opting to replace potato acreage with corn, wheat and barley — crops that have gone up in price faster than potatoes.