Tomato Price Crisis: Cost Of Preparing A Vegetarian Thali At Home Goes Higher Than Non-vegetarian Thali

Chennai: The cost of preparing a vegetarian thali at home has gone up by 34 per cent while that of a non-vegetarian thali went up by 13 per cent in July as compared to the input prices that prevailed in June 2023, CRISIL said in a report.

According to the report, in July, the cost of cooking a vegetarian thali at home stood at Rs 33.7 (June rate Rs 26.3) whereas the cost of non-vegetarian home meal was at Rs 66.8 (June rate Rs 60).

According to CRISIL, a vegetarian 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.

Broiler prices for July 2023 are estimated.

CRISIL said out of the 34 per cent rise in the cost of vegetarian meals, 25 per cent can be attributed to the 233 per cent hike in tomato price last month.

In June, the tomato price was Rs 33/kg and shot up to Rs 110/kg in July.

Tomatoes aside, the other ingredients that heated up the cost side last month as compared to June were the prices of onion that went up by 16 per cent, potato by 9 per cent, chilli 69 per cent, and cumin by 16 per cent.

However, given the lower quantities of these ingredients used in a thali, their cost contribution remains lower than some of the vegetable crops, CRISIL said.

On the other hand, the cost of a non-vegetarian thali rose at a slower pace as the price of broilers, comprising more than 50 per cent of the cost, likely declined 3-5 per cent on-month in July, the report notes. “

"A 2 per cent on-month decline in the price of vegetable oil provided some respite from the increase in cost of both thalis," the report said.