Costs of veg, non-veg meals decline in December on fall in onion, tomato prices

Fall in onion and tomato prices in December led to a month-on-month decrease in the cost of a vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali or a meal by 3 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, a report said on Monday.

Rates of home-cooked veg and non-veg thalis fell 3 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, in December, according to Crisil Market Intelligence and Analytics (MI&A) Research 'Rice Roti Rate' estimates.

Easing of veg and non-veg thali costs was due to a 14 per cent and 3 per cent month-on-month decrease in prices of onion and tomato, respectively, with the festive season coming to an end, said the report.

The cost of a non-veg thali declined faster due to a 5-7 per cent month-on-month decline in the price of broilers, which account for 50 per cent of the cost, it added.

The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India. The data also reveals the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas) driving the change in the cost of the thali.

The report further revealed that on a year-on-year basis, the cost of the veg thali rose 12 per cent, while that of a non-veg meal declined 4 per cent.

The rise in veg thali cost was led by a substantial increase of 82 per cent and 42 per cent in prices of onion and tomato, respectively, the report said.

Prices of pulses, which account for 9 per cent of the veg thali cost, also increased 24 per cent year-on-year, it stated.

The decline in the cost of the non-veg thali was due to 15 per cent decline in broiler prices year-on-year amid higher production, the report added.