Rwamagana and Kayonza districts have over the last one week registered a significant increase in the price of tomatoes by almost 80 per cent in wholesale trading with bulk traders virtually running out of the commodity.The price skyrocketed from Rwf400 a kilogramme the previous month, to Rwf900 in the week under review.According to residents in the two districts, the price hike was due to a drought in the tomato growing areas owing to poor rains in the preceding months.In an interview with The New Times, a tomato grower in Rwamagana, Jean Marie Ndayisenga, said that the produce could barely survive in most farms located far from water sources."Poor rains led to an overall reduction in the availability of tomatoes in the market, hence the hike. Only a few farmers who managed to irrigate tomatoes have some to sale...the price increase is thus largely due to scarcity,” he explained.Sauda Mutoni, a tomato retailer in Kayonza noted that traders now have to rely on sourcing the commodity from afar as regular suppliers could hardly meet the demand. She said that retailers were compelled to increase the price after wholesalers doubled it, adding that the prices were set to ascend even higher."We have no alternative...our prices are determined by wholesalers...I don’t see tomato prices decreasing soon,” she commented."It may go higher instead because the supply from farmers is still very low.”Richard Kayibanda, a teacher based in Rwamagana, lamented that the price increase had been passed on to consumers."Residents fear that tomato prices will reach the cost of chicken,” he observed."Tomatoes have become expensive and a rare commodity in local markets...we have decided to eat food without them.”