Homemade Veg Thali Becomes Cheaper By 3% In Dec, Cost Of Non-Veg Meal Slips 5% On Lower Onion, Tomato Prices: CRISIL

The relaxation in the veg and non-veg thali prices happened as onion prices fell by 14 per cent, while tomato prices declined by 3 per cent, both on a month-on-month basis in December

The cost of a typical vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali declined in December on a month-on-month basis, owing to a fall in commodity prices, a study by a research agency revealed on Monday. 

The price of a home-cooked vegetarian thali decreased by 3 per cent in December, while the cost of a homemade non-vegetarian thali dipped by 5 per cent in the month, the CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics (MI&A) Research ‘Rice Roti Rate’ estimates revealed. This decline was attributed primarily to the fall in onion and tomato prices in the study, reported PTI. 

The report found that the relaxation in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali prices happened as onion prices fell by 14 per cent, while tomato prices declined by 3 per cent, both on a month-on-month basis, as the festive season inched closer to its end. The non-vegetarian thali saw a dip in prices faster due to a fall of 5-7 per cent in the broiler costs, on a month-on-month basis. Notably, broilers account for 50 per cent of the cost of the non-vegetarian thali. 

The study decides the average cost of preparing a thali at home on the basis of the input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India. The data further reveals the ingredients, like cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil, cooking gas, etc., that dominate the change in the thali prices. 

The report revealed that the price of a vegetarian thali increased by 12 per cent, while the non-veg thali became cheaper by 4 per cent, on a year-on-year basis. This surge in the cost of the vegetarian thali was driven by a sharp increase of 82 per cent in onion prices and 42 per cent in tomato prices. Pulses, which contribute to 9 per cent of the cost of the vegetarian thali, saw a growth of 24 per cent in the prices on a YoY basis, it found. The fall in the non-vegetarian thali prices was attributed to a 15 per cent reduction in broiler prices, on a YoY basis, amid higher production.