Costlier vegetables made your thali more expensive by 9% in May: CRISIL

Costlier vegetables made your vegetarian thali dearer by 9 per cent to Rs 27.8 in May, up from Rs 25.5 the same month last year, according to ratings agency CRISIL.

A vegetarian thali has roti, onion, tomato, potato, rice, dal, curd, and salad. A non-vegetarian thali has the same foods but chicken (broiler) replaces dal. The average cost of a home-cooked thali is calculated based on input prices in North, South, East and West India.

“The cost of the veg thali increased owing to a surge of 39 per cent, 41 per cent and 43 per cent year-on-year in the prices of tomato, potato and onion, respectively, largely because of the low base of last fiscal,” CRISIL said in its Roti Rice Rate report, released on Thursday.

 

“Lower onion arrivals on account of a significant drop in rabi acreage coupled with a decline in potato arrivals on account of the adverse impact of late blight and crop damage in West Bengal contributed towards the increase in prices,” the report said.

The prices of rice and pulses also increased by 13 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively.

The further increase in the price of a vegetarian thali was prevented by the fall in prices of cumin, chilli and vegetable oil.

“Prices of cumin, chilli and vegetable oil fell 37 per cent, 25 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, preventing a further increase in the cost of the veg thali,” it said.

As compared to Rs 27.4 in April, the cost of a veg thali was up by a marginal 1 per cent.
 

Opposite for a non-veg thali

On the other hand, the report highlighted that the price of a non-vegetarian thali, which has broiler instead of dal, fell 7 per cent during the same period. In May this year, a non-veg thali cost Rs 55.9 against Rs 59.9 in May 2023.

“The decline in the cost of the non-veg thali can be attributed to an estimated 16 per cent drop in broiler prices year-on-year on a high base of last year,” the report said.

Broilers account for 50 per cent of the cost of the non-veg thali.

As compared to Rs 56.3 in April, the cost of preparing a non-veg thali was down 1 per cent.