A key ingredient for pizza, BLTs, springtime salads and other dishes has gotten a lot pricier of late.
Prices for fresh tomatoes have soared in recent months, largely on the back of tariffs, higher energy costs triggered by the Iran war, and weather-related supply shocks, according to agricultural economists.
The average retail price of field-grown tomatoes jumped to about $2.26 per pound in March, the highest level in more than eight years, according to data tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Consumers saw prices for fresh tomatoes spike about 15% in the month of March alone, following a 6% increase in February, according to the consumer price index, an inflation barometer.
The monthly inflation rate for tomatoes in March was the largest for any consumer good or service, outside of energy commodities like gasoline and fuel oil, which have risen sharply due to an oil supply shock tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
