{"id":10711,"date":"2026-05-29T21:33:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T21:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10711"},"modified":"2026-05-29T21:33:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T21:33:32","slug":"tomatoes-the-latest-affordability-squeeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10711","title":{"rendered":"Tomatoes the latest affordability squeeze"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Matt Sedensky<\/p>\n

The Associated Press<\/p>\n

Tomatoes, ubiquitous in everything from fast-food burgers to haute cuisine, are taking on a new role beyond the plate: A nagging reminder of rising costs.<\/p>\n

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Prices for those red orbs have soared more than any other food product over the past year to cement a spot as one of the consumer headaches du jour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tomato has become a symbol of something much deeper,\u201d said Isaac Bernal Carbajo, a New York City chef who lamented life\u2019s \u201csimplest pleasures\u201d falling victim to price increases. \u201cSomething as basic as buying fresh vegetables is starting to become a serious financial decision for many families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomato prices are up about 40% over a year ago, according to the latest consumer price index, dwarfing increases for other groceries, including coffee (up 18.5%), beef roasts (up 17.8%) and frozen fish and seafood (up 12%), among other products that have become symbols of America\u2019s affordability squeeze.<\/p>\n

A separate inflation gauge released Thursday showed that overall prices increased 3.8% in April from a year earlier, the highest reading in nearly three years.<\/p>\n

Alongside crop yields, experts blame price increases for tomatoes, in part, on two pillars of President Donald Trump\u2019s second-term policies: the Iran war and tariffs. The war spiked gas prices and increased shipping costs. Meantime, the U.S. withdrew from a deal allowing duty-free imports of tomatoes from Mexico, which grows most of America\u2019s supply.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

Usha Haley, a Wichita State University economist, said it\u2019s \u201ca perfect storm of trade policy, extreme weather and Mideast policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

American tomato farmers cheered the withdrawal from the tomato deal in July, saying it would help rebuild their shrinking industry. But for consumers, it\u2019s been painful. Though the U.S. withdrew from the Mexico tomato deal, it took time to see the impact in the produce aisle, with more imports in late winter and early spring.<\/p>\n

When the tomatoes arrived, they were slapped with a 17% tariff.<\/p>\n

\u201cTariffs are undeniably a big driver of the price inflation,\u201d said Brett Massimino, a Virginia Commonwealth University business professor. \u201cBecause the U.S. relies on Mexico for the majority of its tomato supply, any changes in trade policy can have a large impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

MarginEdge, which tracks prices for restaurants, said grape tomatoes have increased most \u2014 65% in just a month \u2014 but prices have gone up across all types of tomatoes.<\/p>\n

Phillip Coles, a professor of supply chain management at Lehigh University, said prices should drop later in the year when domestically grown tomatoes are harvested. Higher prices, he said, also will \u201cinduce farmers to increase planting to meet the demand, but this takes longer because of the lead time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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