Prices of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis rose year-on-year in November due to higher prices of tomatoes and potatoes, according to Crisil’s monthly report released on Thursday.
According to the report, the estimated cost of vegetable thali increased by 7% year-on-year to Rs 32.7, while the price of non-vegetarian thali increased marginally by 2% year-on-year to Rs 61.5.
Vegetarian thali consists of vegetables such as roti, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes along with rice, dal, curd, and salad. Non-vegetable thali has the same elements except dal, but dal is replaced with broiler chicken.
According to Crisil, the increase in the cost of non-vegetable thali was restrained by lower proportion of broiler chickens, which decreased by 3% compared to November 2023. Chicken accounts for almost 50% of a thali’s price.
Prices of vegetable thali rose more rapidly due to the large proportion of tomatoes and potatoes. According to the report, these two vegetables account for about 26% of the price of a thali.
“Tomato prices increased by 35% YoY from Rs 40 to Rs 53 per kg in November 2023. Potato prices increased from Rs 25 to Rs 37 per kg in November 2023, on a lower basis year-on-year. 50% increase compared to the previous year,” the report said.
It added that the cost of vegetable thali was also affected by pulses prices and increased by 10% year-on-year due to “lower open and pipeline stocks”. This cost, along with higher import duties and demand during the festive and wedding seasons, led to vegetable oil prices rising 13% year-on-year, the report said.
Further hike in the cost of vegetable and non-vegetable thalis was prevented by an 11 per cent fall in fuel prices in Delhi from Rs 903 per 14.2 kg LPG cylinder last year to Rs 803 now, Crisil pointed out.