Delayed monsoons, heavy rains in some tomato-growing areas and warmer-than-normal temperatures last month have hit production, causing prices to rise fivefold this year.
The price of tomato in India has soared due to adverse weather conditions. Indicative of the seriousness of the situation is the wave of reactions on social media, where tomatoes are compared to petrol.
Delayed monsoons, heavy rains in some tomato-growing areas and warmer-than-normal temperatures last month have hit production, causing prices to rise fivefold this year.
Tomatoes usually become expensive during the barren production months of June and July, but the impact this year has been extreme.
Tomatoes and onions are so important in the world’s most populous nation that a price hike could spark protests.
Indeed, some political parties in India have lost elections because they could not control the price of onions, which along with tomatoes are a staple in Indian dishes.
High food prices could also hamper the central bank’s efforts to boost economic growth and keep inflation under control.
A McDonald’s outlet in New Delhi posted a notice on its wall announcing the temporary shortage of tomatoes.
“Despite our efforts, we are unable to source sufficient quantities of tomatoes” to pass quality checks, the statement said.
Social media is full of tomato-related memes. One shows tomatoes running ahead of petrol and diesel, while another says that with every kilo of tomatoes you get a free iPhone.
In fact, a YouTube video jokes that buying politicians is cheaper than buying tomatoes, referring to the opposition leader and other MPs joining the governing coalition in Maharashtra, India’s richest state, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Monty.
The retail price of tomato in New Delhi on Thursday was 120 rupees ($1.45) a kilogram, compared with 22 rupees in early 2023, according to food ministry data. In contrast, petrol was being sold at around Rs 96 per liter in the capital.
The rise in the price of tomatoes even fuels crime. A farmer in the southern state of Karnataka has reported the theft of a quantity of tomatoes worth 150,000 rupees, according to the Hindustan Times.
moneyreview.gr with information from Bloomberg
Source :Skai
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