Tomatoes become latest symbol of America's affordability squeeze

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/tomatoes-inflation-prices-groceries-mexico-tariffs-trump-1176fd9d4213f2b568181809937c2170

Tomatoes become latest symbol of America’s affordability squeeze
By MATT SEDENSKY
Updated 5:00 AM CDT, May 29, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

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.

“The tomato has become a symbol of something much deeper,” says Isaac Bernal Carbajo, a New York City chef who lamented life’s “simplest pleasures” falling victim to price increases. “Something as basic as buying fresh vegetables is starting to become a serious financial decision for many families.”

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’s affordability squeeze.

Alongside crop yields, experts blame price increases for tomatoes, in part, on two pillars of President Donald Trump’s 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’s supply.

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More winning

[dem4decades]

1. Trump's catching a break, soon local tomatoes will become available

And people don't need oil for their furnaces. But if this war drifts into the fall, everyone will be outraged.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Last week I was checking out at the self check out in the grocery store.

The lady customer next to me had just scanned a medium size bag of fresh cherries.

She called the sales clerk over, the one who supervises customers checking out.

The lady customer said there is a big mistake, this bag of cherries is ringing up $15.00.

Sales clerk checks it and says nope, this is the right price.

Lady customer says I am not paying $15 for a small container of cherries.
Take it back to produce.

[Hey Joe]

3. I remember reading a few months back that

Florida farmers were plowing under their tomato fields because the Mexican workers were too afraid of ICE to show up.
So no one to maintain or harvest the fields.
Our self-defeating racism/xenophobia does have its consequences.

[dalton99a]

4. +1

Tony DiMare’s family owns 4,000 acres of tomato farms across Florida and California. Sadly, his Florida crops have been mowed over and left to rot, as with many tomato vines across the state.

DiMare told WSVN 7 Miami that President Donald Trump’s tariff and immigration policies are driving farmers to abandon their crops.

More recently, DiMare told The Washington Post that Florida's acreage for tomato farms has tumbled from 61,800 acres in 1990 to 23,000 today – that’s a drop of almost 63%.

As the Trump administration proceeds with mass deportations of undocumented migrants, there are far fewer pickers in the fields, and crops are left to go bad.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/florida-farmers-now-plowing-over-101200504.html

[dweller]

5. Tomatoes

The new egg

😐



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