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The cost of a representative, home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali, declined by three per cent and five per cent, respectively, in December 2023 when compared to November, a report by CRISIL MI&A Research said on Monday.
The easing was due to a 14 per cent and 3 per cent on-month decrease in prices of onion and tomato with the festival season coming to an end. The cost of the non-vegetarian thali declined faster due to a 5-7 per cent on-month decline in the price of broilers, which account for 50 per cent of the cost, the agency said.
In November 2023, vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali costs increased 10 per cent and 5 per cent on-month, CRISIL said.
The cost of non-vegetarian thali came down to Rs 57.6 in December from Rs 60.4 in November and vegetarian thali declined to Rs 29.7 from Rs 30.5.
On an on-year basis, however, the cost of the vegetarian thali rose 12 per cent, while that of the non-vegetarian thali declined 4 per cent. The rise in vegetarian thali cost was led by substantial increases of 82 per cent and 42 per cent in prices of onion and tomato, respectively. Prices of pulses, which account for 9 per cent of the vegetarian thali cost, also increased 24 per cent on-year, it said. The decline in the cost of the non-vegetarian thali was due to 15 per cent on-year decline in broiler prices amid higher production, CRISIL said.
The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India. Monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s expenditure. The data also reveals the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil, cooking gas) driving changes in the cost of a thali, according to the rating agency.
A vegetarian thali comprises roti, vegetables (onion, tomato, and potato), rice, dal, curd, and salad. For non-vegetarian thali, the constituents remain the same but for dal, which is replaced by chicken.
India’s retail inflation rose to 5.55 per cent in November as compared to 4.8 per cent in October, according to data from the ministry of statistics. The RBI’s monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which met in December first week, retained the Repo rate at 6.50 per cent in the October policy meeting.
Male agricultural workers in rural areas got an average daily wage of Rs 323.2 in India in 2022, according to RBI data. If they work for 20 days in a month, their monthly income will be around Rs 13,000 for two persons. If there’re two earning members in a household, 70 per cent of the wages will go towards preparing the vegetarian thali (both lunch and dinner) for the month. Expenses towards education, health, clothes, travel and energy will have to come from the balance 30 per cent. Households will have to compromise on the quality and richness of the daily meal and cut down food expenses to keep the family budget under control.
