Veg Thali Cost Up 28% In A Month Due To High Tomato Price: Report

The steep hike in price of tomatoes has made a vegetarian thali dearer by 34 per cent on month-on-month basis, a report by rating agency Crisil said. The agency's 'Roti Rice report' said that non-vegetarian thali was relatively less impacted in the month of July as compared to June and the cost of preparing one went up by only 13 per cent. 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, which is the monthly indicator of food plate cost, 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.

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

Other ingredients like chili and cumin also became more expensive, their prices rising 69 per cent and 16 per cent month-on-month.

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

A two per cent month-on-month decline in the price of vegetable oil provided some respite from the increase in cost of both thalis, the report added.

While tomato prices, which have crossed Rs 300 a kg in Delhi despite the government selling it at subsidised rates, will likely ease meaningfully only from September, there is a risk of cereals going up, particularly rice, which hopefully will not rise as much as it did in August and September of 2022.