Veg thali gets dearer by 7% in March with onion, tomato price surge: Report

Conversely, a decrease in poultry prices resulted in a 7 per cent drop in the cost of a nonvegetarian thali

MUMBAI: In March, the price of a vegetarian thali rose by 7 per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, a domestic rating agency Crisil reported on Thursday.

Conversely, a decrease in poultry prices resulted in a 7 per cent drop in the cost of a non-vegetarian thali.

According to Crisil’s monthly “Roti Rice

Rate” report, the vegetarian thali, which includes roti, vegetables (onions, tomatoes, and potatoes), rice, dal, curd, and salad, saw its price rise to Rs 27.3 per plate in March from Rs 25.5 in the same period last year. However, it was still cheaper than the February 2024 price of Rs 27.4.

The report attributed the increase in the cost of the vegetarian thali to a 40 per cent, 36 per cent, and 22 per cent year-on-year surge in the prices of onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, respectively. This was due to lower arrivals of onions and potatoes and a low base for tomatoes in the last fiscal year.

The report also highlighted that lower arrivals led to a 14 per cent increase in rice prices and a 22 per cent rise in pulse prices compared to the same period last year. For the non-vegetarian thali, where dal is replaced by chicken, the price fell to Rs 54.9, down from Rs 59.2 in the same period last year. However, it was slightly higher than the February price of Rs 54 per thali.

The report noted that a 16 per cent decrease in broiler prices, which account for 50 per cent of the overall price, was the main reason for the year-onyear decline in the cost of the non-vegetarian thali.

However, broiler prices rose by 5 per cent compared to February due to the onset of the holy month of Ramadan and increased demand.