ISLAMABAD, May 27: The production of 58 Large-Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) has recorded a marginal growth during the July-March period of the current fiscal year over the last year.

While production of 17 industries showed a negative growth, which reduced the total LSMI production to 8.99pc during the period under review as against the growth of 15.57 per cent recorded during the same period last year.

Official figures compiled by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), a copy of which was made available to Dawn, indicated the production of vegetable ghee increased by 13.16pc to 861,389 tons during the period as against 761,201 tons the same period last year.

The output of cooking oil rose by 17.60pc to 190,622 tons as against 162,095 tons; beverages 42.07pc to 2,947,303,000 as against 2,074,558,000 bottles; and wheat and grain milling by 0.82pc to 3,519,781 tons as against 3,491,032 tons over the last year.

In the textile sector, the production of cotton yarn up 11.16pc to 1,903,365 tons during the July-March period as against 1,712,297 tons last year; cotton cloth by 0.07pc to 690,016,000 square metres as against 689,538,000 square metres; woollen and carpet yarn by 5.77pc to 1,779 tons as against 1,682 tons.

However, in the same sector the production of knitting wool declined by 2.02pc to 2,325 tons as against 2,373 tons; jute goods (total) by 2.47pc to 76,630 tons as against 78,572 tons and cotton (ginned) by 10.94pc to 1,659,000 tons as against 1,862,000 tons over the last year.

In the electrical sector, the production of refrigerators increased by 11.27pc to 569,756 units during the July-March period as against 512,066 units last year; air-conditioners by 19.63pc to 121,103 units as against 101,229 units; electric meters 77.32pc to 2,203,043 units as against 1,242,385 units; electric fans 4.42pc to 971,825 units as against 930,715 units. However, the production of deep-freezers declined by 1.06pc to 116,043 units as against 117,288 units over the corresponding period of last year.

Almost all pharmaceutical products registered growth during the period under review including tablets up by 15.64pc; syrups 8.36pc; capsules 9.33pc; injections 29.92pc; ointments 13.86pc; toilet soaps 17.68pc; and soaps and detergents 17.79pc over the last year.

In the automobile sector, production of diesel engines increased by 119.59pc during the July-March period; tractors 16.34pc; trucks 58.33pc; jeeps and cars 29.91pc; LCV’s 29.31pc; motor cycles 15.04pc. However, buses production declined by 61.77pc over the last year.

The production of petroleum products during the period under review rose by 2.32pc; motor tyres 10.10pc; cement 9.75pc; bicycles 7.43pc; matches 31.28pc; paper and board 11.85pc; and footwear 9.01cp.

The basic metal industries however recorded a negative growth in the overall sub-sectors during the period. The production of coke fell by 77.39pc; pig iron 43.99pc; billets 47.95pc; H.R sheets/strips 26.06pc and CR Coil/plate/sheets 8.59pc. Almost all the chemical industries had shown growth in the production except chlorine.