Potato growers are asking for limits on the importation of heavily discounted frozen chips, so local spud farmers do not go out of business.

Producers in the Northern Hemisphere have a surplus of french fries, following a price collapse.

It means places like New Zealand could be swamped by cheap imports.

Potatoes New Zealand chief Chris Claridge told Mike Hosking, they want rules in place before local growers are pushed out of the market by really cheap chips.

Claridge says spud producers have been locked out of the market for the past two months - and now they're seeking to recover they're up against a landslide of chips from Europe.

He adds there are dumping laws, but they don't kick in until produce has already hit the market and caused damage.

Claridge wants to see something put in place before that damage occurs.