Soz but many Aussie Chrissy tables could look very different this year thanks to the gift that keeps on giving (yes, COVID…). Ham is among several foods expected to be in short supply leading into the most wonderful time of the year with ongoing border restrictions driving workforce shortages across the agricultural sector. Lockdowns in NSW and Victoria are affecting supply chains across the country, and foods including ham, lamb and some fruit and veg are forecast to be in low supply and more expensive come December. That’s why retailers and the red meat industry are calling on restrictions on meatworks to be lifted ahead of the Christmas rush. The problem is cold workplaces like abattoirs have been breeding grounds for cases here and around the world. “We want to see every Aussie have Aussie pork this Christmas,” Victorian pork producer Tim Kingma said. We want that too, Tim, except for those with religious or dietary restrictions. And people who don’t like it – they shouldn’t have to eat it either.