The average cost of preparing a vegetarian thali at home in India surged by 34 per cent in July when compared with the previous month led by 233 per cent jump in the price of tomato and 16 per cent increase in onion price, data compiled by rating agency CRISIL showed.
Around 25 per cent of this surge in the cost of average vegetation thali can be attributed solely to the price of tomato, which rose to Rs 110 per kg in July from Rs 33 per kg in June, CRISIL noted in its monthly indicator of food plate cost report released on Monday.
In fact, the price of tomatoes soared above Rs 200 per kg in several parts of the country during the month under review.
The prices of onion and potato increased 16 per cent and 9 per cent on a month-on-month basis, respectively, contributing further to the increase in cost of average thali.
There was also a sharp jump in the prices of spices. Chili became costlier by 69 per cent while the price of cumin surged by 16% on a month-on-month basis in July. “However, given the lower quantities of these ingredients used in a thali, their cost contribution remains lower than some of the vegetable crops,” CRISIL noted in the report.
The average cost of preparing a vegetarian thali at home surged to Rs 33.7 in July from Rs 26.3 in June. The cost has increased sharply for the third month in a row. It stood at Rs 25.1 in May.
The cost of non-vegetarian thali rose at a slower pace of 13% in July on a month-on-month basis. It rose to Rs 66.8 in July from Rs 60 in the previous month.
These numbers indicate the cost of preparing a thali at home. It is not the retail price of a thali, which includes overhead costs, staff expenses, and profit margins as well. The average price is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India.
For the purpose of standardisation, the agency has assumed that a veg thali comprises roti, vegetables (onion, tomato, and potato), rice, dal, curd, and salad. For a non-vegetarian thali, chicken has been considered instead of dal.