Inflation is biting and tomatoes are reaching dizzying prices. The alarm was raised on the pages of Il Sole 24 Ore by Fabio Massimo Pallottini, president of Italmercati, the network of Italian wholesale agri-food markets. Prices for tomatoes of Sicilian origin, a point of reference for autumn-winter supplies, are at record levels: the ‘ox heart’ starts from a wholesale base of 4.50 euros per kilo, while the ‘datterino’ even reaches 5.80 euros. “At this rate a tomato salad risks becoming a gourmet dish, I would almost say starred restaurant” explains Pallottini with a joke.
The causes behind the crazy prices
Ironies aside, the situation is serious. “The product – says the president of Italmercati – starts with a price that has on average doubled compared to a few months ago”. With the result that the final cost for consumers becomes prohibitive. The causes behind the increases are essentially two: the extreme heat wave of summer 2026 and the increase in production costs due to expensive fuel and fertilizers.
The extreme temperatures recorded in the months of July and August literally compromised the crops and ruined part of the quality of the harvest, reducing the marketable quota. To cover the gap in internal production and guarantee the presence of vegetables on the shelves of supermarkets and among the stalls of local markets, purchasing centers were forced to widen their import networks by resorting to tomatoes grown abroad: Spain, Albania, but also Turkey.
The rise of leafy vegetables and coffee
But bad news never comes alone. And so the price increases also overwhelm leafy vegetables (endive and escarole are close to 3.80 euros per kilo and there is a shortage of bags in supermarkets) and the cup of coffee, whose consumer price has jumped by +44% since 2021. Altroconsumo highlights that the cost of black powder has recorded “an increase much higher than that of many other food products”. Statistical findings highlight that after a progressive growth observed between 2022 and 2024, the surge became more rapid during 2025.