12% increase in non-vegetarian thali prices

The increase in the cost of non-vegetarian thali was due to an estimated 20 per cent annual increase in the price of broilers, which accounts for 50 per cent of the cost of a non-vegetarian thali.
The representative cost of a home-cooked vegetarian thali rose by three per cent and that of a non-vegetarian thali by 12 per cent in December, rating firm Crisil said.
The increase in the cost of non-vegetarian thali was due to an estimated 20 per cent annual increase in the price of broilers, which accounts for 50 per cent of the cost of a non-vegetarian thali. Crisil said the sharp jump in broiler prices is due to the low base of last year, when production was higher.
The increase in the cost of vegetarian thali was due to an increase in the prices of tomatoes and potatoes, which collectively account for 24 per cent of the cost of a thali, Crisil said. Tomato prices rose 24 per cent from Rs 38 per kg in December 2023 to Rs 47 per kg in December 2024.
Potato prices rose 50 per cent on last year’s low base from Rs 24 per kg in December 2023 to Rs 36 per kg in December 2024, Crisil said, as production increased by an estimated 6 per cent annual growth in December.
Vegetable oil prices rose 16 per cent annual due to an increase in import duty, as well as higher demand during the festive and wedding season. However, an 11 per cent annual decline in LPG fuel costs (the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi fell to Rs 803 from Rs 903 last year) partially offset this.
The vegetarian thali consists of roti, vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), rice, dal, curd and salad. The non-veg thali has everything the same except dal, which is replaced by chicken (broiler). The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on the input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India.
The monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s spending. The data also shows what are the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broiler, vegetables, spices, edible oil and LPG) that drive the change in the cost of a thali, Crisil said.
The price of a vegetarian thali declined 3 per cent month-on-month in December 2024, while the price of a non-vegetarian thali is projected to increase at the same pace.
Tomato prices declined 12 per cent month-on-month on fresh supplies from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Crisil said. A 2 per cent and 12 per cent monthly decline in potato and onion prices, respectively, further supported the December price line.
The cost of a non-vegetarian thali increased at a faster pace due to an estimated 11 per cent monthly increase in broiler prices on a fall in production due to the cold wave in the north. Crisil said that the increased demand due to the festive and wedding season as well as the high cost of fodder added to the trouble.
According to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation on January 12, India’s core retail inflation rate rose to a four-month high of 5.69 percent in December.
This was due to adverse base effect. The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.50 percent in the December monetary policy.