Vegetarian thali becomes more affordable in February, non-veg thali costlier
₹27.5 last month, while non-vegetarian thali rose 4% to ₹54, according to rating agency Crisil. Year-on-year, though, the cost of a vegetarian meal increased 7%, while non-vegetarian thali declined 9%. A typical vegetarian meal includes roti, vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), rice, dal, curd and salad.
The non-vegetarian version replaces dal with chicken (broiler). Despite fluctuating commodity prices, the share of ingredients used for arriving at the prices remains constant. The cost of vegetarian thali declined, as onion prices fell 14% month-on-month in February, while those of potatoes eased 3%, Crisil said.
The rise in non-vegetarian meal prices was mainly due to a 10% increase in broiler prices, which account for half of the thali's cost, prompted by supply constraints amid the spread of bird flu in Andhra Pradesh and rising temperatures. The approaching Ramadan contributed to a surge in demand, pushing up prices. On a yearly basis, however, a 29% and 38% jump in prices of onion and tomato, respectively, led to a 7% increase in cost of a vegetarian meal.
Prices of rice and pulses, contributing 20% to the vegetarian thali cost, also rose 14% and 20%, respectively. In contrast, a 20% fall in broiler prices over the year led to a decrease in the cost of non-vegetarian thalis. Cereal prices are expected to stay high for a while until the Rabi harvest arrives in the market, which is expected by the end of March for wheat and April for paddy.
In the case of tomatoes, prices are expected to inch lower if climatic conditions remain unaltered, as the area under tomato cultivation has seen an uptick this Rabi season. Arrivals of Rabi onion start in February, which will likely keep prices in check for a while. In the
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