'Avocado toast cheaper than tomato chutney': Rising tomato prices force Indians to consider other food options

The spike in price of tomatoes across the country is making avocados look affordable by comparison. Once the fruit of choice for wealthy Indians, avocados could find wider usage in average Indian households, said netizens, as tomato prices might reportedly surge to a whopping Rs 300 per kg.

The shift can be attributed to the fact that the rise in tomato prices has coincided with a decrease in avocado prices. Tomato prices have seen an unprecedented rise in the last few weeks and is likely to touch Rs 300 per kilogram in the coming days, as per wholesale traders.

A kg of avocado, which could have three to four pieces, will roughly cost as much as Rs 300 in Indian markets.

The price surge has been attributed to various factors, including supply chain disruptions, climatic conditions and other market dynamics.

With tomato prices going witnessing a never-seen-before hike, users across social media are drawing a comparison between the staple ingredient as well as avocados. "It’s just a time in the economy when making avocado toast for breakfast is cheaper than dosa and tomato chutney," a Twitter user wrote sharing a side-by-side comparison of avocados and tomatoes retailing on an e-commerce platform.

Well-known nutrition coach, Shashi Iyengar, also pointed at the fall of the once-exclusive avocado.

As tomato prices continue to rise, people are either cutting down on consumption or switching to other choices. This is likely to continue as the prices of tomatoes are expected to go up to Rs 300 per kilogram in the coming days.

Kaushik, a member of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), said that vegetable wholesalers are facing losses as the sale of tomato, capsicum, and other seasonal vegetables has fallen drastically. He said that the prices of tomatoes have shot up to Rs 220 per kilo from Rs 160 per kilo in the wholesale market, owing to which retail prices can also go up.

"There is a lot of difficulty in transportation of vegetables due to landslides and heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh. It takes 6 to 8 hours more than usual in exportation of vegetables from the producers due to which the price of tomato might reach nearly Rs 300 per kilogram," Azadpur Mandi wholesaler Sanjai Bhagat told PTI.

(With PTI inputs)