Cost Of Home-Cooked Thalis Fell By Up To 17% In October. Here's Why

The cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis fell as much as 17 per cent and 12 per cent (year-on-year) in October, respectively, primarily because of a steep decline in the prices of vegetables and pulses, a Crisil report said on Friday.

Potato prices slid 31 per cent on a high base, wherein production in Rabi season 2024-2025 rose by 3-4 per cent on-year, while tomato prices fell 40 per cent on-year on the back of higher supplies from western and southern markets, according to Crisil's monthly indicator of food plate cost.

According to Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence, onion prices fell owing to an increase in supply of stock from the rabi season 2024-25, ahead of the kharif crop arrivals in the market from November.

"Pulses saw price corrections as well, supported by an increase in imports of Bengal gram, yellow pea and black gram. In the medium term, onion prices could see a moderate rise, as excess rainfall in August and September in key producer states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra has delayed kharif transplantation and raised yield concerns," Sharma mentioned.

Potato prices are expected to remain firm in November because of low supplies of the early rabi crop, but may ease after cold storages release their stocks by mid-December.

Tomato prices are likely to stay soft amid continued kharif arrivals, according to the report.

Prices of pulses may inch up in the near term, reflecting the impact of excess rainfall on kharif yields and the recent imposition of a 30 per cent import duty on yellow pea. Should the government extend the import duties to other pulses, prices could witness a steeper rise, said Sharma.

The cost of a non-vegetarian thali fell relatively less because broiler prices fell a moderate 6 per cent on-year. Broilers account for about half of the thali cost. Lower prices of vegetables and pulses, however, helped bring down the overall cost.

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