Why did the tomato riots break out in India?
Due to recent heat waves, abnormal rainfall and other factors, India has suffered heavy losses in crops, resulting in a shortage of tomatoes, the main vegetable in the Indian diet. After days of heavy rains, the transportation crisis further caused the price of tomatoes to soar sevenfold, making the Indian people miserable.
According to data from the Ministry of Food of India, the retail price of tomatoes in New Delhi, the capital of India, was 178 rupees (approximately RMB 16) per kilogram on July 16, which was 27 rupees (approximately RMB 2.3) per kilogram in January. yuan) 7 times the price. In comparison, gasoline prices in New Delhi are about 96 rupees (approximately RMB 8.4) per liter.
In India, July is usually the high-price season for tomatoes, but people say they have never seen such high prices, and low-income families generally cannot afford it. Indian tomato traders have warned that prices may hit a record high of 200 rupees (approximately RMB 17) per kilogram in the next few days. In addition to tomatoes, agricultural products such as onions, ginger and chillies in India also experienced price increases due to the weather.
Indian agricultural experts said that severe flooding in major tomato-producing states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka was a key factor in the surge in tomato prices. Due to excessive rainfall in these states, tomato production has been severely affected. The tomato harvest is due in a few weeks and prices are expected to drop by then.
Someone became a millionaire by relying on tomatoes
According to "India Today" report, as the price of tomatoes soared, it brought huge profits to Indian farmers. This has turned many tomato farmers into millionaires, with some even earning 1.8 million rupees (approximately RMB 157,000) in one day.
Tukaram, a farmer in Maharashtra, India, sold 13,000 boxes of tomatoes in one month and earned more than 15 million rupees (approximately RMB 1.31 million). On July 15, he sold 900 boxes of tomatoes in one day and earned 1.8 million rupees.
Indian media said that depending on the quality, the price of each box of tomatoes ranges from 1,000 rupees (approximately RMB 87) to 2,400 rupees (approximately RMB 209). A farmer in Karnataka, India, sold 2,000 boxes of tomatoes in one week and earned 3.8 million rupees (approximately RMB 332,000).
For Indian farmers, some are happy and some are worried. Soaring tomato prices have also fueled criminal activity, with farms and tomato transport vehicles becoming targets for thieves. On July 8, a truck carrying several tons of tomatoes in India was attacked by several men. They robbed the driver of his money and took away the tomatoes. Indian farmer Dalini said that tomatoes worth 2.5 million rupees (approximately RMB 220,000) were stolen from her farm overnight.
The soaring price of tomatoes has even led to murders. Two farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India, who were guarding tomato crops, were murdered in just seven days. Local police said that late at night on July 16, farmer Reddy was strangled to death while sleeping in a tomato garden. At that time, he was tending crops with tomatoes.
The report said that in order to prevent thieves, many tomato farmers have formed their own security teams to guard their tomato gardens in shifts. Ironically, at the beginning of this year, farmers even dumped tomatoes on the roads, when the price of tomatoes even fell below 1 rupee per kilogram. But nowadays, tomatoes have become the most expensive vegetables.