Hyderabad: With the price of tomato showing no signs of abating after hitting the three-figure mark three weeks ago, hapless consumers are taking to social media to grin and bear it. The surge in price was caused by the shortfall in tomato cultivation in farms surrounding the city and arrivals from neighbouring states falling. There is no hope of the prices falling till mid-August with the arrival of local crops.

Left with no alternative, consumers have taken to circulating jokes. “Acche din have finally arrived. Now, tomato and apple prices are almost equal. Petrol gets cheaper than tomatoes,” said one message. Another joke, based on a spoof that did the rounds a couple of years ago when onion prices were ruling high, is gaining traction: “Considering tomato as an option for Raksha Bandhan gift”. Rakhi is to be celebrated on August 7.

Text jokes by netizens spoke of “taking a bank loan to purchase tomato” while another said “Khoon Choosle Tamatar (blood-sucking tomato)”. A picture message in which tomato slices are kept in the wallet is gaining popularity. Mr K.R. Vijay Kumar, estate officer of the Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar said local tomatoes would hit the markets from the first week of August, while the marketing department was expecting the arrivals from the second week of August. “With the arrival of local crop, the price of tomatoes will come down. We are expecting more supply from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, which will also give minor relief,” he said.