The rise in prices of onions and tomatoes pushed up the cost of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis by 10 per cent and 5 per cent respectively in November over the last month, according to a report by CRISIL.
This is a rise of 9 per cent in the cost of the vegetarian thali in November 2023 compared to the same period previous year. Prices of pulses which account for around 9 per cent of the total cost of veg thali, also climbed 21 per cent year-on-year (YoY).
There was a rise of 58 per cent and 35 per cent in prices of onions and tomatoes respectively in November compared to October, prompted by festive demand and lower output in Kharif season due to erratic rainfall conditions, the report said.
There was a decline of 1-3 per cent in prices of broiler chicken, which accounts for around 50 per cent of the cost of non-veg thali.
The arrival of onions to markets, which typically peaks at this time of year, has significantly declined due to unfavorable weather conditions during the kharif sowing season.
This has resulted in less land being covered for onion cultivation and a delay in the harvest, leading to a tight supply situation and a subsequent rise in onion prices.
With stored rabi onions (from the previous harvest) now depleted, the market is heavily reliant on the delayed kharif crop, further exacerbating the supply constraints and pushing prices even higher.
