Veg thalis cost 34% more as tomato prices surge

Preparing a 'vegetarian thali' got dearer by 34 per cent in July as compared to June because of the soaring tomato prices, an arm of a rating agency said in a report on Monday.

A non-vegetarian thali was relatively less impacted and the price of preparing one went up by only 13 per cent, Crisil's 'Roti Rice Rate' report for August said.

The inflation in the thalis is largely driven by the 233 per cent jump in tomato prices to Rs 110 per kilogramme in July from Rs 33 in June, the report said.

Crisil said the average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India.

This is the third consecutive month of inflation in the cost of thali, it said, adding that this is the first time in FY24 when the prices have got dearer from a on-year perspective as well.

The prices of onion and potato increased 16 per cent and 9 per cent on-month, respectively, contributing further to the increase in cost, the report said.

Chilli prices were up by 69 per cent in July over June, but as the quantity required in food preparation is lower, the impact on thali preparation is limited, Crisil said.

For the non-vegetarians, the thali cost hike was tempered by a 3-5 per cent decline in the cost of broiler chicken, which comprises for half of the costs, the report said.

A 2 per cent on-month decline in the price of vegetable oil provided some respite from the increase in cost of both thalis, it said.