Why have tomato prices surged nearly 40% in a year?

CBS News reports that Tomatoes are the latest popular food to take a bite out of consumer wallets, joining items like coffee, bananas and beef.As of April, government data shows the fruit's prices were up nearly 40% from a year ago, compared with 17% for food costs overall.

Across the U.S., tomatoes cost an average of $2.69 a pound, a record high, according to Federal Reserve figures.

By comparison, coffee prices in April had risen 18.5% from the trailing 12 months, ground beef had jumped 19% and seafood was up 12%, labor data shows.Several factors are driving up tomato prices, David Branch, sector manager at the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, told CBS News.

in July imposed a 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes after withdrawing from a three-decade-old trade agreement that enabled duty-free tomato imports from Mexico.

Although scuttling the deal benefited American farmers, consumers are feeling the pain.U.S.

tariffs collected on tomatoes have surged from just $16,424 in 2024 to nearly $4.6 million, according to federal data.