McDonald's stores have no choice but to stop supplying tomato products, which are even more expensive than gasoline! Indian tomato prices are skyrocketing. India | tomatoes | skyrocketing
According to Consumer News and Business Channel on the 13th, India, one of the world's major tomato producing countries, is facing a tomato supply crisis due to extreme weather affecting its harvest.
According to data from the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, tomato prices in India have surged 341% from the beginning of this year to the 11th of this month. The Indian National Institute for Biological Stress Management, which specializes in agriculture, believes that major tomato producing regions in India, such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, have experienced floods due to heavy rainfall, resulting in the destruction of many tomato crops, which is a key factor contributing to the soaring prices.
Tomatoes and onions are considered daily necessities for Indian consumers. According to reports, after the price of tomatoes skyrocketed, farmers in some parts of India reported that tomatoes had been stolen in large quantities, with one person reporting boxes weighing 150 kilograms being stolen.
Some McDonald's stores in India have stopped supplying tomato products. The franchisees of this fast food brand in western and southern India have stated that tomato shortages are a "seasonal" issue that the Indian food and beverage industry has to deal with every rainy season.
According to reports, June to July is the tomato planting season in India every year, during which the price usually experiences a wave of increase, but it falls slightly during the August harvest season. According to data from the Indian government, the price of tomatoes in the country increased by 166% year-on-year in July.
According to Bloomberg News on the 7th, Indian tomatoes were once more expensive than gasoline at the beginning of this month, and social media was filled with jokes related to the price of Indian tomatoes. In a picture, tomatoes are running ahead in a race against gasoline and diesel. A video jokingly claims that "buying" local politicians is cheaper than buying tomatoes.