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Thali Costs Rise: Tomato, Oil Prices Surge 2%
8 May
Summary
- Home-cooked thali costs rose 2% in April due to higher tomato, oil, and LPG prices.
- Tomato prices jumped 38% year-on-year, impacting overall thali expenses.
- Onion and potato prices dropped, partially offsetting increased food costs.
The average cost of both home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis saw a 2% year-on-year increase in April. This escalation was largely driven by a significant surge in prices for tomatoes, vegetable oil, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
Tomato prices experienced a sharp 38% rise compared to the previous year, attributed to reduced production in southern states. Vegetable oil and LPG cylinder prices also climbed 7% due to ongoing global supply disruptions, with tomato prices expected to continue rising into the summer months.
However, the overall increase in thali costs was partially counteracted by a decline in the prices of onions, potatoes, and pulses. Onion prices fell 16% due to ample supply from recent harvests and reduced exports, while potato prices dropped 14% following a rise in output.
Pulses prices decreased by 4% year-on-year, supported by duty-free imports. For non-vegetarian thalis, a 2% increase in broiler prices, influenced by summer heatwave impacts on supply, also added to the overall cost increase for April.
On a monthly basis, the cost of a vegetarian thali remained unchanged, while the price of a non-vegetarian thali saw a 1% rise in April.
