PTI New Delhi

Softer vegetable prices helped in lowering the cost of home-made meals in April this year, a report said on Wednesday. As per the "roti rice rate" report prepared by an arm of domestic rating agency Crisil, the cost of a typical vegetarian meal reduced 4 per cent year-on-year and 1 per cent month-on-month to Rs 26.3 in April.

The on-year fall in prices was attributed to the sharp decline in vegetable prices, which included a 34 per cent plummet in tomato, an 11 per cent decrease in potato and a 6 per cent drop in onions. A 19 per cent increase in vegetable oil prices due to higher import duties and a 6 per cent rise in LPG cylinder prices limited the decline in thali costs, the report said.

A non-vegetarian thali declined by 4 per cent year-on-year and 2 per cent month-on-month to Rs 53.9 per plate, it added. Further, the report said that the decline in the price of a non-veg meal was influenced by the softening of the vegetable prices and a dip in poultry prices, which was hit by oversupply as bird flu in some peninsular states impacted demand.

"Going forward, wheat and pulses prices are expected to moderate amid strong domestic output," said Pushan Sharma, director of research at Crisil Intelligence. "Edible oil prices are also likely to soften over the next 2-3 months as global supplies pick up, mainly from Argentina, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Rice prices, though, are expected to inch up with a projected increase in exports. And among vegetables, onion prices are likely to be rangebound while tomato prices are forecast to rise on account of seasonality."

A vegetarian thali comprises roti, vegetables such as onion, tomato, and potato, rice, dal, curd, and salad. A non-vegetarian thali has the same elements except for dal, which is replaced by chicken.