Veg, non-veg thali costs fall 13% YoY in November on cheaper veggies

The cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis dropped by 13% each year-on-year in November, reports Crisil. The fall was driven by a steep decline in the prices of vegetables, pulses, and broilers, according to the report.

Riding on the decline in prices of vegetables and pulses, the cost of preparing home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis fell 13% each on a year-on-year basis in November, according to Crisil's monthly indicator of food plate cost.

Reasons for Year-on-Year Decline

The decline in the cost of a vegetarian thali was led by a sharp fall in the prices of vegetables and pulses while the cost of a non-vegetarian thali fell due to a 12% on-year drop in broiler prices, which account for ~50% of the cost. Lower prices of vegetables and pulses also contributed to the decline of non-vegetarian thali prices. Notably, the prices of tomato declined 17% on-year on the back of higher supplies, while potato prices fell 29% on-year on a high base. Further, the onion prices declined 53% on-year due to the availability of higher stock from the previous rabi season, coupled with subdued exports. Prices of pulses declined 17% because of increased stocks in the current fiscal led by high imports of Bengal gram, imports rose by 9 times on-year in fiscal 2025, yellow pea (85% rise) and black gram (31% rise), which are allowed until March 2026, putting downward pressure on prices, Crisil said in its report.

Month-on-Month Cost Changes

However, on monthly basis, the cost of a vegetarian thali rose 2%, while that of a non-vegetarian thali dipped 1% in November. Potato and tomato prices rose 5% and 14%, respectively, leading to a rise in the overall cost of thalis, while the prices of other major commodities remained largely stable. The cost of a non-vegetarian thali declined on account of an estimated 5% on-month fall in broiler prices amid oversupply in the market. (ANI)

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