Thali cost dips in Oct as potato, tomato, chicken prices drop

New Delhi: The cost of representative, home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali fell by 5 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively, in October compared to the same month of the previous year, according to the latest CRISIL report released on Monday.

The decline in thali cost, which reflects a dip in food inflation, was due to a significant 21 per cent and 38 per cent year-on-year decline in the prices of potato and tomato, respectively, during the month, the report stated.

The cost of non-veg thali declined faster as the price of broiler (chicken), which constitutes 50 per cent share in the thali cost, softened by an estimated 5-7 per cent compared to a high base of the previous year.

The cost of fuel, which accounts for around 14 per cent and 8 per cent of the total cost of the veg and non-veg thali, respectively, declined by 14 per cent as the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder fell from Rs 1,053 to Rs 903 during the month compared to last year.

However, a further decline in thali prices was capped by a rise in onion prices in the second half of the month to Rs 40/kg on average from Rs 34/kg in the first half, trading 25 per cent higher in the second half owing to a lower kharif output estimated in 2023.

Price of pulses, accounting for 9 per cent share in the total cost of a veg thali, increased 19 per cent compared to last year. This too kept the thali cost from falling further.

The report also said that thali prices are expected to inch up in November if higher prices of onion, which accounts for around 10 per cent of the total cost of a veg thali, continue. The prices of onions were 75 per cent higher in the first week of November, compared with the previous month.