India faces tomato price crisis after climate change drives crop failure

India is facing a nationwide tomato shortage after prices for the culinary staple soared by more than 400%.

That's because crop failures have been prompted by scorching heatwaves and heavy rains, farmers and agriculture experts have said.

And now, tomato is off the menu at homes and restaurants across India.

A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of tomatoes sold in the capital New Delhi this week cost 138 rupees (£1.28), a fivefold jump from the 27 rupees (25p) recorded in January, according to data.

Asha, a homemaker in the capital who asked to be referred to only by her first name, told CNN the increase has hit her seven-member family hard - she uses tomatoes in almost every dish she makes.

"This tomato price hike is impacting us a lot... It’s unbelievable," she said.

“Tomatoes are an integral part of our vegetarian diet... (but) these past couple of days, I am conscious about what I am cooking because it’s so expensive."

Why is there a tomato shortage?

India often experiences heatwaves during the summer months of May and June, but in recent years, the sweltering conditions have arrived earlier and become more prolonged.

Last April, India experienced a heatwave which saw temperatures in the country’s capital New Delhi go beyond 40 degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days.

In some states, the heat forced school closures, damaged crops and put pressure on energy supplies, as officials warned residents to remain indoors and keep hydrated.

India is among the countries expected to be worst affected by the climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide.

And experts have said the effects will be devastating.

Only this week, flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains in India's capital have killed at least 22 people.

A study published in April by the University of Cambridge said heatwaves in India are putting “unprecedented burdens” on India’s agriculture, economy and public health systems, stalling efforts to reach its development goals.

Only a few regions in India’s south have suitable conditions for growing tomatoes during the summer months, so any "climate-related issues" in those areas can have a national-level impact on the supply of fresh tomatoes.

Sriram Gadve, president of India’s Vegetable Growers Association, said the constant heatwaves from April to June this year meant tomato plants weren’t able to flower during that period, which affected the crop yield.

“It impacted its growth and that’s why (the) tomato yield this year was impacted by 70%," he explained.

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