date:Apr 17, 2013
The tomato, a staple of Brazilian cuisine, has seen its price more than double in the past year, in a worrying sign for an economy with a recent history of hyperinflation.
While the price surge has been partly driven by seasonal factors, such as crop destruction from wetter-than-normal weather, the tomato is seen as a tracker for overall inflation and reflects wider economic trends such as rising fuel prices.
A sensitive issue in Brazil, where inflation once hit 2,500pc during a 14-year period