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Quarterly Manufacturing Production Index
- Overall industrial production up 4 pc
KATHMANDU, DEC 11 - As an indication of slow revival of the war-wracked domestic economy, the overall Manufacturing Production Index (MPI), a key survey of the industrial output, recorded a moderate growth 4.53 per cent during first quarter of the current fiscal year.
According to MPI figure released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), a healthy growth in the manufacturing of garment products and woollen carpets, which are the heavyweight of MPI, greatly contributed for the latest increment.
While analyzing sector-wise performances, the food products group with the largest weight of 26.21 in the MPI, witnessed a marginal decline of less than one per cent mainly due to decline in the production of rice, vegetable ghee, beer and biscuits, among others.
Similarly, after series of downturns, the manufacturing of beverages group maintained a marginal positive growth rate of 0.51 per cent. Of the major products of the group, manufacture of beer recorded a tumble of around 8 per cent while the production of soft drinks and liquor rectified soared by over 6 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
Propelled by the improved international demand for woollen carpet, its manufacturing index increased over 8 per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year. Concerned traders says that recovery of European economy, particularly German, largely contributed for the improvement.
Similarly, the manufacturing of other food products, which holds a weight of 5.97 per cent also registered a nominal surge of 2.34 per cent. Despite a slip in the manufacturing of biscuits, healthy growth rate in production of noodles and processed tea pushed up the index.
Of the commodities under manufacture of grain mill products and prepared animal feed group, production index of rice slipped by almost 10 per cent, due to the last year’s unfavourable weather. However, the production of wheat flour surged by almost 20 per cent.
A joint production index for vegetable ghee, oil, and fats recorded a whooping slump of almost 17 per cent, mainly due to various problems seen in the exports of ghee to India, the largest ghee export destination of Nepal. However, the production of soybean oil recorded a remarkable surge of over 12 per cent.
After a series of slumps, the production of tobacco products, which holds 13.78 per cent weight in the MPI, remained in the same level of last year.
Similarly, the production of dairy products recorded a marginal decline of 2 per cent. In the like manner, the manufacturing indices of electrical wire and cables increased by over 3 per cent while the production of shop slightly slipped. The lessening soap export to India is the main reason behind the decline.
Anchored by the improvement of construction sector, the production of cement went up by 9 per cent while the production of bricks remained unchanged during the period. The production index for wood swan iron and corrugated sheet increased by 14 per cent while production of iron rods went up by over 11 per cent.Posted on: 2003-12-12 04:16
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