Thali cost increases in Nov as festival demand pushes up vegetable prices

livemint.com:

₹30.3 in November, non-veg thali cost went up 5% month-on-month to ₹61.2. There has been a 9% on year rise in the cost of veg thali, which is driven by a 93% and 15% increase in onion and tomato prices, respectively. Prices of pulses also shot up 21% year-on-year.

However, the cost of a non-veg thali remained unchanged year-on-year, revealed rating agency CRISIL. The veg thali comprises roti, vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), rice, dal, curd and salad. The non-veg thali has the same elements as the veg thali, except dal is replaced by chicken (broiler).

Onion and tomato prices recorded 58% and 35% month-on-month increases, respectively in November. Meanwhile, the cost of the nonveg thali increased at a slower pace than that of the veg thali because of a marginal 1-3% decline in prices of broilers, which account for 50% of the non-veg thali cost. Onion, tomato and pulses are fundamental ingredients of an Indian thali and have a meaningful bearing on the daily expenses of a common person in India.

These commodities have seen a jump in prices in the past few weeks, impacting the common person’s budget. The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India. The data also reveals the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas) driving the change in the cost of the thali.