Vegetable Price Spike Raises Vegetarian Thali Cost by 20%, Non-Veg by 5%

Vegetable prices have pushed up the cost of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis in October. A home-cooked vegetarian thali saw a 20% price hike compared to last year, while a non-vegetarian thali became 5% more expensive, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The main reason behind the increase is the rise in vegetable prices, which make up about 40% of the cost of a vegetarian thali. The report, from CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics, highlighted the price hikes in key vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and potatoes.

"Tomato, potato and onion have all clocked sharp increases in price for varying reasons - excessive rainfall in September in key growing states that delayed arrival of kharif onion; crop damage for tomato amid strong festive demand; and depleting cold storage stocks of potato leading to a price spike," said Pushan Sharma, Director at CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics.

In October, onion prices jumped 46%, and potatoes became 51% more expensive compared to last year, primarily because of lower supply caused by the heavy rains in September.

The report predicts that tomato prices will stabilize in November, while onion prices should also ease with the arrival of new crops. Potato prices, however, may take a little longer to drop.

The cost of a non-vegetarian thali, which had been falling for 12 months in a row, also went up by 5%, narrowing the gap with the vegetarian thali.

For non-vegetarian thalis, the increase was slower due to a 9% drop in broiler prices, which account for half the cost. However, the rise in vegetable prices, which make up about 22% of the cost, added to the increase.

The report mentions that stable broiler prices for October helped keep the non-vegetarian thali price from going higher.

The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on the prices of ingredients in different parts of India.