Costlier onion, pulses likely to push up thali prices in November: CRISIL

The cost of an average home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali dipped by five per cent and seven per cent respectively in October 2023 as compared to the previous month due to a significant fall in potato and tomato prices, an analysis by CRISIL showed.

However, the analysis also showed that thali prices might inch up in November if higher prices of onion — which accounts for around 10 per cent of the total cost of a veg thali — persist.

In October, the price of pulses, which accounts for a nine per cent share in the total cost of a veg thali, increased by 19 per cent year-on-year. This kept the thali cost from falling further, CRISIL said.

On the other hand, in October itself, the price of potatoes fell by 21 per cent year-on-year while that of tomatoes declined by 38 per cent year-on-year.

The analysis showed that in October the cost of a non-veg thali declined faster as the price of broiler (it has a 50 per cent share in the thali cost) softened an estimated 5-7 per cent year-on-year on a high base.

The cost of fuel, which accounts for 14 per cent and eight per cent of the total cost of the veg and non-veg thali, respectively, declined by around 14 per cent year-on-year as the price of a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder fell from Rs 1,053 to Rs 903.

However, a further decline in prices was capped by a rise in onion prices in the second half of October to Rs 40 a kg on average from Rs 34 a kg in the first half, trading 25 per cent higher year-on-year in the second half owing to a lower kharif output estimated in 2023.