Tomato, pulses push veg thali cost up by 5% in June: Report

If you are a vegetarian, you must be feeling a sharper pressure of rising price on what you eat on an average in your thali (plate) when compared with non-vegetarians. It’s not just because of the surge in prices of tomatoes, but also that of pulses, another key ingredient of a veg thali

The average cost of a vegetarian thali in June was around 5% higher when compared with the previous month while the average cost of a non-vegetarian meal in June increased by 1.2% month-on-month basis, as per a research report by Crisil.

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The report states that an average cost of a vegetarian thali rose to Rs 26.3 in June from Rs 25.1 in the previous month. The average cost of a non-vegetarian thali increased to Rs 60 in June from Rs 59.3 in May. Surge in tomato prices have put pressure on the cost of both thalis. However, the vegetarian thalis have witnessed higher price pressure due to the increase in price of pulses. Tur and gram prices rose by 3% in June on a month-on-month basis.

“The cost of veg and non-veg thali alike, on the decline since October 2022, nosed up on a sequential basis in May and further in June 2023,” Crisil’s report said.

The agency calculates the average cost of a thali based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east, and west India.

Monthly changes reflect the impact on the common man’s expenditure. The data also revealed the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broiler, vegetables, spices, edible oil, cooking gas) driving changes in the cost of a thali.