Powering the surge in prices of daily food items across the country is the humble tomato whose price has shot up by as much as five times in the past few weeks. In Hyderabad, the vegetable, a staple in most Indian diets, even hit record prices of Rs. 100 kg. But there is still no clear explanation for why prices have gone up; the common reasoning is that drought and unseasonal rains have damaged crops and reduced supply, leading prices to skyrocket.
