Tomato Prices Ease in May but Remain 32% Higher Than a Year Ago

Fresh tomato prices eased in May, but shoppers are still paying about a third more than last year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said fresh tomato prices fell 8.5% from April to May. Even with that decrease, prices were still 32% higher than in May 2025. Tomatoes remain one of the fastest-rising food categories in the latest CPI report.

Weather problems in Florida and Mexico reduced tomato supplies earlier this year. Florida agriculture officials reported major crop losses after winter freezes. Bloomberg reported that drought and unusual rainfall disrupted tomato production in parts of Mexico.

Fresh tomatoes are especially exposed to those disruptions because they cannot be stored for long periods, said Lindsey Boney, grocery manager and produce expert at Windmill Farms Market in San Diego.

“Fresh tomatoes, in contrast to shelf-stable groceries, cannot be warehoused for long periods, and therefore their prices react much faster to sudden changes in supply,” Boney said.

Boney said weather conditions, labor availability, and transportation challenges can quickly reduce supply, leaving retailers little time to adjust before prices rise.

Mexico also plays a central role in the U.S. tomato market. According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, more than 90% of Mexico’s fresh tomato exports are shipped to the United States, while the country exports roughly two-thirds of its total tomato production. That means weather-related production problems in Mexico can quickly affect tomato supplies and prices in the U.S.

Prices have started to ease, but analysts do not expect a quick return to last year’s levels. David Branch, executive director of the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, told Bloomberg that “Supply is going to level out, prices are going to tweak down. But we’re not going to have a huge supply increase.”

The May CPI report shows that tomatoes cost less than in April but are still much more expensive than last year. Prices are likely to stay high until supplies recover.

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