Diespatches during the period have kept pace with production and also registered 18 per cent increase at 51.85 million tonne against 43.85 million tonne.

Production in October alone was up 10 per cent at 6.85 million tonne against 6.22 million tonne last year. Dispatches in October stood at 6.69 million tonne against 6.23 million tonne, according to the Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA).

Industry sources pointed out that both production and dispatches growth have shown a marginal decline in the seven month period April-October 1999 compared with the six month period April-September 1999.

On a month-to-month basis, cement production was higher in October at 6.85 million tonne. In September 1999, production stood at 6.68 million tonne while despatches were at 6.69 million tonne.

Cement production in April-September had shot up by over 20 per cent to 45.37 million tonne as against 37.68 million tonne in the corresponding period of previous year.

Industry sources attributed the marginal decline in cement production and despatches largely to the truckers' strike during October. "Production and despatches during October would have been higher but for the strike by the truckers which greatly hampered the movement of cement from the plants to the major markets", said a senior executive of a Rajasthan-based cement company.

Interestingly, despite the buoyant growth witnessed by industry in the first seven months, industry experts foresee a lower growth in the second half of the current fiscal compared to the first half. The six month period October to March is traditionally much better than the first.

CMA expects the industry to close the current financial year with 12 to 15 per cent growth after two years of depressed growth.