Vegetarian Thali Gets Dearer By 10% In June As Onion, Tomato Prices Rise

The average cost of a vegetarian thali became dearer by 10 per cent in June due to the jump in onion, potato, and tomato prices, a report said today.

However, a decline in the broiler price contributed to a decrease in the cost of a non-vegetarian meal, as per Crisil Market Intelligence and Analysis' monthly "Roti Rice Rate" report.

The cost of veg thali, which comprises roti, vegetables (onions, tomatoes and potatoes), rice, dal, curd and salad, increased 10 per cent to Rs 29.4 per plate in June from Rs 26.7 in the year-ago period, and was higher when compared to Rs 27.8 in May 2024, it said.

The overall hike in vegetarian thali prices is attributed to a 30 per cent increase in prices of tomato, 59 per cent in potato and 46 per cent in onion.

In the case of onion, there were lower arrivals due to a significant drop in rabi acreage, while potato witnessed lower yields due to unseasonal rainfall in March, it said.

On the surge in tomato prices, it said virus infestation in the summer crop due to high temperatures in key growing regions of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh reduced tomato arrivals by 35 per cent year-on-year.

Additionally, there was a 13 per cent increase in rice prices due to a dip in acreage, resulting in subdued arrivals, while the pulse prices rose 22 per cent owing to a dry spell in key kharif months, the report said.

In the case of non-vegetarian thali, which comprises all the same ingredients but dal gets replaced by chicken, the price declined to Rs 58 in June as compared to Rs 60.5 in the year-ago period, but was considerably higher when compared with the preceding May's price of Rs 55.9 per thali.

As per the report, non-vegetarian thali costs declined due to a decrease in broiler prices by around 14 per cent year-on-year, oversupply and lower feed cost as against last year.

The report said the hike in the prices of both vegetable and non-vegetable meals prices when compared with the previous month was largely due to the surge in vegetable prices, it said.
 

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