Kuwait: Let the Tomatoes Rot!

Tomatoes are now eight times more expensive in Kuwait than they were a month ago – and netizens are not taking the change in prices in stride. They cannot find an explanation to why the cost of a box of tomatoes jumped from half a dinar ($1.70) to KD4 ($14) in just a few days.

AlDestor wrote:

أثناء حديثه الشيق والممتع سمو رئيس مجلس الوزراء أدام ظله لنواب الخيبة برر لنا سبب سفراته ورحلاته المكوكية لارجاء العالم بأنه يبحث عن تأمين الغذاء للكويت ولدول الخليج بعد 15 عام
سمو الرئيس هل تعلم بأن الزمن قد سبقك كثيرا كيف لا ونحن في عام 2010 نعاني من ارتفاع أسعار الخضار وأهمهم وهو شيخهم وكبيرهم الطماطم
In his exciting address to our useless members of Parliament, the Prime Minister excused his constant travels around the world saying that he was looking for means to secure Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf's food needs after 15 years.
Dear Mr Prime Minister,
Are you aware that time has beat you and that we, in 2010, are suffering from an increase in the cost of vegetables, especially their leader, the tomato?

Ein Bagzee says the problem isn't what to do about the hike in prices but how to deal with it:

ذن المشكلة في ثقافة المستهلك نفسه هو لا يعلم أنه العجلة المهمة التي يعتمد عليها أي تاجر فهو أي التاجر لا يستطيع أبعاد المشتري لو مهما كان الثمن فسوف يبيع لك بضاعته في النهاية هناك درجات في الخسارة التجارية لا احد يرغب أن تصل خسارته ألي درجة تحت الصفر فالجميع يرغب أن يبيع إذا اليوم خسرت دينار واحد فأنا كسبت عميل جيد سوف يشتري مني بسعر دينارين في المستقبل و هكذا تتم الحركة التجارية بالأمس كان البيض اليوم الطماطم غدا الخبز أو الأرز على اعتبار أن المحاصيل الزراعية في بيشاور – باكستان تعرضت للتلف !!
The problem is in the culture of consumers who don't understand the important cycle which any merchant depends on. Merchants cannot keep consumers at bay and will sell you his goods because at the end, there are different levels of losses and no one would want to lose completely. Everyone wants to sell and if the merchant loses a dinar today, he will win a good customer who will buy for KD2 in the future and this is how the commercial cycle continues. Yesterday, it was the rising cost of eggs and today, it is the tomatoes. Tomorrow it could be bread or rice, considering that agricultural produce in Peshawar – Pakistan – was destroyed in the floods.

m-vitaminz wonders why Parliament members are not up in arms about the increase in prices:

لماذا يانواب الأمة والمعارضة لم تقيمو ندوات وتجمعات وتنزلون للشارع إحتجاجاً لغلاء الطماط ..؟ لماذا لم تهددو رئيس الوزراء بإعتلاء المنصة وأستجوابه لرفع سعر الطماط ..؟ لماذا يانواب الأمة المناظلين لم تكشفوا من وراء هذا الغلاء الفاحش وتشكلو لجنة تحقيق
Why aren't the members of Parliament and opposition holding lectures, gatherings and rallies to protest against the increase in the prices of tomatoes? Why haven't they threatened the Prime Minister that with questioning in Parliament for the hike? Why haven't they disclosed who is behind this huge spike in prices and formed an investigation committee?

And as with each problem in Kuwait, Twitter is flooded with jokes and comments about the subject.

BoJaij says:

كل نائب يستلم سحارة طماط…هدية عودة مجلس الأمة
Every parliamentarian will get a box of tomatoes for free to mark the beginning of the new Parliament term.

and fayounii throws sports into the mix:

قرر اتحاد الكويت لكرة القدم منح كل لاعب صندوق طماط وذلك لفوزهم بالكأس
The Kuwaiti Football Association has decided to give each player a box of tomatoes for winning the championship.

2 comments

  • Muhammad

    A similar price hike in Tomatoes in KSA, around SR10-12/KG

  • What if the prices continue to rise, until they are too high for some people to pay for? I may be thinking into the future, but what if? Innocent people may fall ill, others may even DIE! I’m only 13 years old, but I care. I can’t stand the idea of people or animals dying for what? So people can make more money? That is not even CLOSE to what I would consider an acceptable reason. But that’s just what I think.

    I’m doing a school project, and I chose to do it on Kuwait City. Can anyone help me? I need some information on the average cost of renting a decent apartment or buying a house there. Also, some stuff on some major economic activities.
    Please, anyone, help me out? I appreciate the help anyone gives me, as I need quite a bit for this project – more than I just listed.
    Thanks :D

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