ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Pakistan’s large-scale manufacturing sector grew by 8.41 per cent in the fiscal year 2006-07 as against the target of 13 per cent set for the same period, said Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Wednesday.

The capacity constraints and slower demands have badly affected the industrial production during the last couple of years and resultantly the exports proceeds also remained much behind the targets during the period.

The ministry of industries and production directly collects information on 35 items, oil companies advisory committee (OCAC) 11 items and provincial bureau of statistics provide data for 54 items.

The product wise production showed that sugar production increased by more than 19.13 per cent to 3.525 million tons compared with 2.959 million tons last year. The production of cigarettes has increased by 2.87 per cent, while cotton yarn and cloth production grew by 11.75 per cent and 6.75 per cent, respectively.

In the food sector, the vegetable ghee production increased by 2.26 per cent, cooking oil 7.04 per cent, wheat 6.96 per cent, starch and its products 7.48 per cent, beverages 33.95 per cent during the period under review over the last year.

In the automobile sector, the LCVs production has increased by 18.74 per cent, jeeps and cars 0.42 per cent, buses 20.36 per cent, motor cycles 11.65 per cent during the year 2006-07 as against the same period of last year. However, the production of trucks dropped by 2.39 per cent.

Similarly, tractor production has increased by 10.46 per cent, diesel engines 37.12 per cent during the period under review. The production of cycle tyres up 0.37 per cent, cycle tubes 2.12 per cent, motor tyres 18.27 per cent and motor tubes 43.46 per cent.

The production of paper & board has dropped by 2.21 per cent, petroleum products 1.76 per cent.

The cement production during the year 2006-07 has increased by 22.49 per cent and the production of glass sheets, up by 98.89 per cent during the period under review over the last year.

The iron and steel production during the period under review up by 10.69 per cent, coke 79.01 per cent, pig iron 31.36 per cent, billets 8.79 per cent and HR sheets 5.46 per cent during the period under review over the last year.

Among the electrical production, refrigerators recorded a growth of 7.25 per cent, deep freezer 4.34 per cent, air-conditioners 23.24 per cent; electric tubes 8.51 per cent, electric fans 5.11 per cent, electric motors 4.97 per cent. However, TV sets production declined by 35.85 per cent, electric meters 17.51 per cent during the period under review over the last year.