Vegetable prices in the Kingdom continue to skyrocket, particularly the price of tomatoes, despite the fact that the Haj season has come to an end and pilgrims have begun to leave the country.

Tomato prices have registered a 100-percent increase, forcing many families to scrap vegetables from their shopping list.

A drop in local agriculture output and the suspension of imports from Jordan are being cited as the reasons for spiraling vegetable prices. The central vegetable market subsequently witnessed heavy demand for Turkish tomatoes.

Tomatoes are in high demand all year round. Tomato prices have hovered around SR15 per kg since last week in supermarkets and SR12 in retail markets and street vendors. Tomatoes were sold at less than SR7 per kg before Haj.

Turkey is the only remaining source for tomatoes and with reduced local harvests of the vegetable, only small quantities are arriving from Taif but at very high prices.

There was a shortage in tomato supply prior to the arrival of Haj pilgrims, but abundant imports from Jordan had helped stabilize the market. With the season coming to an end in Jordan, imports have dropped, causing a hike in prices.

Tomato and other vegetable prices were earlier said to be stable due to abundant crops in Taif, Tabuk, Al-Kharj, Hail and Al-Ahsa, but the harvest season has come to end in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's vegetable needs are met by Syria, Turkey and Jordan in the summer.