Non-veg thali cost drops 2%, veg thali prices on rise, reason is...

The cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali has increased by 11 per cent compared to last year, while the price of a non-vegetarian thali has dropped by 2 per cent, according to a Crisil report. The rise in the price of the vegetarian thali is due to higher vegetable prices.

Key ingredients like onions, potatoes, and tomatoes have seen significant price hikes. Onion prices have risen by 53 per cent, potatoes by 50 per cent, and tomatoes by 18 per cent year-on-year. Lower supplies and heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra affected these crops.

Vegetables make up about 37 per cent of a vegetarian thali’s cost, while pulses account for 9 per cent. Pulses have also become more expensive, with a 14 per cent increase due to lower production last year.

However, a drop in fuel costs helped reduce the overall impact. The price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi decreased from Rs 903 in September 2023 to Rs 803 in March 2024, helping to keep thali prices from rising even more.

On the other hand, the cost of a non-vegetarian thali decreased mainly due to a 13 per cent drop in broiler chicken prices, which make up half the cost of the non-veg thali.

Month-to-month, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali prices remained stable. Although onion prices rose by 14 per cent due to low supply, potato and tomato prices dropped, balancing the overall cost.

These price changes show how important ingredients like vegetables, pulses, chicken, and cooking gas are to household expenses.