McDonald’s removes tomatoes from Indian outlets due to unfavorable weather. Heavy rains hamper tomato distribution, leading to shortages and higher prices.
costs for this staple of regional Indian cooking have increased by 288% in a month, reaching a peak of 140 rupees ($1.7) per kilogram on Friday. Retail costs are even higher.
Tomato slices can be found in several products on McDonald’s Indian menu, including the ever-popular Maharaja Mac Chicken burger.
Tomato distribution was hampered by heavy monsoon rains, according to the worldwide fast food giant.
Two McDonald’s restaurants in New Delhi, India, recently put notes saying, “Despite our best efforts, we are not able to get adequate quantities of tomatoes which pass our stringent quality checks.”
We’re sorry, but we have to provide you items that don’t include tomatoes.
The firm did not provide an estimate for how long the problem will last.
McDonald’s franchisee Connaught Plaza Restaurants, which operates around 150 locations in India’s north and east, announced the closure in a statement to the media, citing “temporary” seasonal challenges as the reason.
Franchisee for 357 McDonald’s locations in western and southern India, Westlife Foodworld, has reported “no serious tomato-related issues.”
Ten percent to fifteen percent of the chain’s outlets had to temporarily stop selling tomatoes since the franchisee maintained that the shortage was seasonal.
Vijay Sharma, a vegetable vendor in Mumbai, reported that his daily sales of 40 kilograms (88 pounds) had dropped.
“Most of my customers have stopped buying tomatoes,” he lamented. Currently, “I’m only bringing five kilos.”
Businesses in India are recommending tomato substitutes as consumers there cut back on the fruit.
How much higher can tomato prices go? A BigBasket app commercial recommends using tomato paste in place of diced tomatoes when cooking.
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