Softer tomato, poultry prices lead to decline in home-cooked meal costs in Aug

A decline in the price of tomatoes and poultry due to the holy month of Shravan where many abstain from consuming meat helped in a reduction of home-cooked meals in August, a report said on Friday.

The cost of a vegetarian meal declined 4 per cent to Rs 31.2 in August from Rs 32.6 per plate in July, and was lower when compared with Rs 34 in August last year, as per the report by domestic rating agency Crisil.

A non-veg thali price declined 3 per cent as compared to the previous month to Rs 59.3, while the same was much wider at 12 per cent when compared to the cost last year, the report said.

In its monthly "Roti Rice Rate" report, Crisil said tomato prices came down to Rs 50 a kg -- a 23 per cent decline on month and a 51 per cent drop on year -- was one of the major reasons for the decline in the meal prices.

A veg thali comprises roti, vegetables (onions, tomatoes and potatoes), rice, dal, curd, and salad, while in a non-veg thali, the prices of dal are replaced with broiler prices, it said.

The Shravan month led to a decline of up to 3 per cent in broiler prices when compared to July and 13 per cent on-year, which led to a faster decline in the meal prices when compared with the year-ago period, it said.

Additionally, a 27 per cent drop in fuel cost due to reduction in LPG prices earlier this year, along with decrease in vegetable oil, chili and cumin prices also helped in reduction of meal costs when compared with the year-ago period.

The decline in meal prices would have been wider but for a Rs 15 per kg increase in onion and Rs 13 per kg uptick in potato prices on a year basis, the agency said.