Cost of veg thali jumps by 11%, non-veg thali rises 6% in July: CRISIL research

Inflation is now hurting your thalis. The cost of vegetarian thalis increased by 11 per cent while non-vegetarian thalis saw a rise of 6 per cent in July on a month-over-month basis, according to estimates from CRISIL MI&A Research.

On a year-over-year basis, the scenario differs. The cost of a representative home-cooked veg thali in July decreased by 4 per cent, while the cost of the non-veg thali saw a more substantial decline of 9 per cent.

The reduction in the cost of the veg thali year-over-year was mainly due to a dramatic 40 per cent drop in tomato prices, which had reached Rs 110 per kg in July 2023. Last year's high prices were due to flash floods that disrupted supply from northern states and pest infestations affecting crops in Karnataka.

However, the decline in the veg thali's cost was somewhat tempered by significant yearly increases in the prices of onions and potatoes, which rose by 65 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, due to lower arrivals.

For the non-veg thali, the cost decrease was primarily driven by an estimated 11 per cent year-over-year decline in broiler prices, which had been at a high base in fiscal 2024.

A substantial portion of the increase in the cost of the veg thali, specifically 7 per cent out of the total 11 per cent rise, can be attributed to the skyrocketing price of tomatoes.

Tomato prices surged by 55 per cent on-month, climbing from approximately Rs 42 per kg in June to around Rs 66 per kg in July. The spike was mainly due to adverse weather conditions.

High temperatures negatively affected the summer crop in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, while scattered rainfall in Karnataka during May led to an escalation in whitefly infestations, further impacting crop output.

The prices of other staple vegetables also saw significant increases, with onions rising by 20 per cent and potatoes by 16 per cent month-on-month. The increase in onion prices was linked to lower rabi production, while a late blight infestation in Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh adversely affected potato yields.

In contrast, the cost of the non-veg thali rose at a slower pace compared to the veg thali. This slower increase can be attributed to stable broiler prices, which make up more than 50 per cent of the total cost of a non-veg thali.

The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices from various regions across India--north, south, east, and west. These monthly changes reflect the broader impact on household expenditures. The data highlights the driving factors behind the changes in thali costs, including prices of cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil, and cooking gas.