Tomato Price Hike Sends Meme-Makers Into Overdrive

A steep increase in the price of tomatoes has sent meme-makers into overdrive on Twitter, where the hashtag #tomato has been trending high since yesterday. While they are sold every winter at around Rs 20 a kilo, retail tomato prices are ruling at Rs 80 per kg in a lot of cities across the country right now. Rates have shot up to as high as Rs 120 per kg in few southern states because of widespread rains, according to government data. The worst sufferer of the shortage is Chennai, where the vegetable is selling for Rs 140 a kilo. In Kerala, tomatoes are being sold for anywhere between Rs 90 per kilo to Rs 120 per kilo, while customers in the National Capital Region have to shell out anywhere between Rs 90 to Rs 108 for a kilo of tomatoes, according to news agency PTI.

As per the data, retail tomato prices began to rise from the beginning of October and have been ruling at elevated levels in November.

Azadpur Tomato Association President Ashok Kaushik said, "The tomato supply to Delhi from south India has been affected because of the rains. If rains continue in the coming days, the prices in the national capital might rise from the current level."

By the way it's raining I hope the batton will be passed on to Onion very soon...#Tomato pic.twitter.com/Hs95KHq5rS

— Some One (@58Believer) November 23, 2021

#Tomato sellers right now : pic.twitter.com/kW20vw3Wp0

— Tweetera???? (@DoctorrSayss) November 23, 2021

#Tomato Rs 120/kg ....

Me going to make Tomato soup ...

Meanwhile ..mom: pic.twitter.com/0qGHSnf2s2

— Varsha saandilyae (@saandilyae) November 23, 2021

People who bought two kgs of #Tomato pic.twitter.com/jujmKQD3Ai

— Abhishek Mitlakod (@Abhishek5888) November 23, 2021

#Tomato around Rs120 per kg today ???? pic.twitter.com/CEpa4BZyZa

— Anchal Writer (@VashishtAanchal) November 23, 2021

Data is the new oil, Tomato is the new gold ???? #Tomato pic.twitter.com/FaJSjzXbah

— Yaash Raju (@raju_yaash) November 23, 2021

#Tomato pic.twitter.com/IlAS1nlvOD

— St . Sinner. (@retheeshraj10) November 24, 2021

Besides tomatoes, prices of other vegetables like capsicum and onions have also gone up. Large tomato-growing areas have been hit by rain and the diesel price hike is further augmenting the prices. In Andhra Pradesh -- the largest producer of tomatoes in the country (the state grows around 26.67 lakh metric tonnes) -- tomatoes are being sold at Rs 100 a kilo.