The government blames the higher prices of tomatoes on a lean production season when monsoon rains disrupt transport and distribution, but it comes after consumers have battled higher prices of items ranging from milk to spices in recent months. "Despite our best efforts, we are not able to get adequate quantities of tomatoes which pass our stringent quality checks," read notices posted in two McDonald's stores in New Delhi, the capital. The problem was seasonal and forced 10% to 15% of its stores to stop serving tomatoes temporarily, it said. McDonald's Delhi stores still offer sachets of tomato ketchup, however, and a nearby Subway restaurant said there were no issues serving tomatoes. "Tomato prices running high?

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Persons: Price, Westlife, Vijay Sharma, Riddhima Talwani, Rajendra Jadhav, Praveen, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Connaught Plaza Restaurants, Subway, Tata, Thomson Locations: India, DELHI, MUMBAI, New Delhi, Connaught, India's, Delhi, Mumbai