I can't afford it! There are no fresh tomatoes in McDonald's burgers in many parts of India. Media | Social | Tomatoes
Recently, due to factors such as weather, the price of tomatoes in India has skyrocketed, sparking heated discussions on local social media. McDonald's in many parts of India has also announced a temporary halt to adding fresh tomatoes to burgers.
According to the Lianhe Zaobao on July 7, McDonald's in many places in India announced that it would temporarily stop adding fresh tomatoes to hamburgers due to soaring tomato prices, supply shortages and poor quality.
Two McDonald's stores located in the Indian capital New Delhi have posted notices inside their stores stating, "Despite our best efforts, we are still unable to obtain a sufficient quantity of tomatoes that can pass strict quality inspections. We have to provide you with products without tomatoes."
McDonald's store manager stated that the cessation of fresh tomato supply is more due to supply chain issues affecting tomato quality, rather than a surge in tomato prices.
However, the mainstream Indian newspaper Mint cited compiled data from the Indian government, stating that on July 6th, the retail price of tomatoes in New Delhi was 120 rupees per kilogram, compared to 22 rupees at the beginning of this year. In contrast, gasoline is priced at around 96 rupees per liter in New Delhi.
Social media in India is filled with jokes related to tomatoes. Some people complain that the price of tomatoes is more expensive than gasoline and diesel, while others mock, "Buy one kilogram of tomatoes and get an iPhone as a gift.".
Last month, rainstorm and abnormal high temperature in some planting areas in India affected crop yields, leading to higher food prices. Bloomberg economist Abishshek Gupta pointed out in a report that India's food inflation rate in June is estimated to have risen from 3.3% in May to 4% year-on-year, possibly due to significant increases in tomato, legume, and rice prices.
In populous India, the rising prices of traditional foods such as tomatoes and onions often trigger protests. Previously, due to the inability to control the rise in onion prices, some ruling parties lost in the elections.