Tomato price hike prompts meme-fest on social media; here's how netizens are reacting

Tomato prices have suddenly shot up in markets across the country ranging to as high as Rs 80 to Rs 120 per kg, depending on the quality and the localities. Vegetable vendors and wholesalers have blamed rains for disruption in tomato supply, leading to the price of the kitchen staple skyrocketing.

Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), said tomato prices shoot up every monsoon but it was never this high. "Prices go up every year during monsoon but the cost of tomatoes never went up this high. There is a major dip in supply due to the rains. Around half of our stock, which we got from Himachal Pradesh, got damaged," Malhotra told PTI.

While the rise in tomato prices has caused concern among common people, social media is now abuzz with various hilarious memes around the sudden hike in tomato prices.

Take a look at how internet users are reacting to tomato price hikes:

The price of tomato reached Rs 100 per kg in Jaipur, Bhopal, Indore, Bhagalpur, Bengaluru, Kanpur, among other areas. In Gwalior and Patna, tomatoes are being sold at Rs 120 per kg while in Delhi, they are being sold at Rs 80 per kg. The recent rise has forced consumers to cut down the consumption of tomatoes.

A vegetable vendor in Lajpat Nagar said people are reluctant to buy tomatoes due to the sudden price rise. "The current market rate is Rs 80 per kg. We get the supply from mandis where the wholesale price is around Rs 60 per kg. The price has shot up in the past two to three days due to rainfall," he told PTI.

It may be noted that just a week ago, tomatoes were being sold at Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg in many parts of the country. However, a trader in Kanpur said that the prices of tomatoes can shoot up to Rs 150 per kg in the coming days.

The tomato rates have doubled in the last few days. "We are not receiving tomatoes from local areas and there is an acute shortage of them. We rely on Bengaluru for supply in these two months, and in upcoming days, prices will shoot up to 150 rupees per kg," a trader told ANI.

Also Read: Tomato prices soar to over Rs 100 per kg in many parts of India; check what's driving the price hike