Crisil Roti Rice Rate Report: Price of a home cooked meal inched up month-on-month in August, majorly due to a spike in tomato prices, a report said on Monday.
The average cost of a vegetarian meal increased 4 per cent to Rs 29.1 in August as compared to Rs 28.1 in July, while the same for non-vegetarian thali was up 2 per cent at Rs 54.6 per plate, as per the report by Crisil. The tomato prices surged 26 per cent on-month in August due to a 35 per cent drop in arrivals, it said in the monthly roti rice rate report. Prices of potato and onion remained stable on-month as stored stocks were released in the market, it said. Compared with August 2024, the price of a vegetarian meal decreased 7 per cent from Rs 31.2 in the year-ago period, and the same for non-vegetarian meal was down 8 per cent from Rs 59.3. The major reason for a decline in meal prices on-year was attributed to benign commodity prices. Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence, said, "In August, the costs of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined 7% and 8% on-year, respectively, driven by lower prices of onion, potato and pulses. For potato and onion, the fall in prices was on a high base, while prices of pulses moderated amid higher production. However, an increase in tomato and vegetable oil prices limited the extent of the overall decline in thali costs. In the near term, thali prices are likely to remain lower on-year, aided by the high base of vegetables and pulses. The government’s decision to allow free imports of yellow pea and black gram is expected to exert downward pressure on pulse prices."
