ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: The output of large-scale manufacturing has increased by 6.82 per cent during the first two months (July-August) of 2003-04 compared with the same period last year, official statistics available with Dawn suggest.

According to production data of 39 selected items compiled by the Ministry of Industries and Production, the production of jute goods, cotton cloth, cigarettes and cars and jeeps have gone up but the production of light carrier vehicles, buses, fertilizer, and paper & paperboard has come down when compared with first two months of the last year.

Cigarette production during the period under review stood at eight billion cigarettes against 6.9 billion the same period last year, registering an increase of 15.26 per cent.

The cotton yarn production improved by 1.58 per cent to 323 million kg from 318 million kg during July-August of last year. The production of cotton cloth increased by four per cent from 894 million metres last year to 930 million metres during first two months of the current fiscal.

Similarly, the production of jute goods have increased by 21.57 per cent in the first two months to 15.85 ton from 13.1 tons same period last year.

In the automobile sector, the car production has increased by 53.8 per cent in first two months of the current fiscal to 12,659 units from 8,220 units same period last year. The production of LCVs, however, dropped by more than 18 per cent to 1,401 units from 1,712 units same period last year.

The production of trucks has increased by 35.68 per cent to 327 units from 241 units during first two months of the last year. The production of buses, however, reduced by 37.50 per cent to 150 units against 240 units last year.

Similarly, tractor production has increased by 9.49 per cent to 3,957 units during first two months of the current fiscal against 3,614 units of the same period last year. The production of motorcycles has also increased by 54.35 per cent to 41,351 units this year from 26,804 units of the same period last year.

The production of paper & board has dropped by 0.19 per cent but production of printing, writing and packing paper increased by 8.63 per cent.

The production of fertilizer (urea, ammonium nitrate, sulphate etc.,) has dropped by 0.63 per cent but fertilizer phosphate has dropped by 9.83 per cent during first two months of the current fiscal.

The cement production during July-Aug 2003-04 has increased by 5.5 per cent to two million tons against 1.7 million tons the same period last year. The production of glass sheet, however, reduced by 3.78 per cent to 1.297 million tons against 1.348 million tons of the corresponding period last year.

The production of bicycles, motor tyres and motor tubes has increased by 3.34 per cent, 5.35 per cent and 9.57 per cent respectively when compared with first two months of the last year.

The iron and steel production during first two months of the current fiscal has reduced by 0.55 per cent. Of this, cast/rolled billet production, HR. Coils and plates, CR. Coils and Galvanized Products has dropped by 15.54 per cent, 0.53 per cent, 21.83 per cent and 21.04 per cent respectively. The production of Pig Iron, however, increased by 10 per cent.