Veg Thali Prices Surge 11% In July Amid High Tomato Costs

Vegetable thali's price increased 11% in July compared to June this year due to higher prices of tomatoes on a monthly basis, according to a report.

Non-veg thali also turned costlier by 6% in July compared to June 2024, the Crisil Market Intelligence and Analysis' monthly 'Roti Rice Rate' report stated.

The cost of veg thali, which comprises roti, vegetables (onions, tomatoes and potatoes), rice, dal, curd and salad was at Rs 32.6 per plate in July 2024 against Rs 29.4 per plate in June 2024, according to the report.

"Compared to the previous month of June, the prices of vegetable thali increased 11% in July, mainly due to a surge in tomato prices, which accounted for 7% of the rise," the report said.

Prices of non-veg thali, which comprises the same ingredients but dal gets replaced by chicken, rose by 6% to Rs 61.4 per plate in July 2024 compared to Rs 58 per plate in June this year.

However, on a year-over-year basis, prices of veg thali eased by 4% mainly due to a high base impact of tomato prices. Veg thali prices were Rs 34.1 per plate in July 2023.

In July 2024, tomatoes were priced at Rs 66 per kg, which is lower than the Rs 110 per kg in July 2023. The higher price in 2023 was due to flash floods in the northern states and pest infestations in Karnataka.

The July 2024 price is higher than June 2024's Rs 42 per kg, due to high temperatures affecting the summer crop in key states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the report explained.

The report, however, said that onion prices increased by 65% and potato prices by 55% compared to the same period last year, which limited the overall decrease in thali costs to just 4%.

In the case of non-veg thali, the costs declined 9% to Rs 61.4 in July 2024 when compared to Rs 67.8 in the year-ago period mainly on an 11% fall in broiler rates.