Cement despatch up 18.5% in Dec

Our Corporate Bureau

Mumbai, Jan 4: The cement industry has continued to defy the slowdown in the other infrastructure sectors to post a 18.5 per cent rise in despatch figures at 8.33 million tonne for December 2001 as against 7.03 million tonne in the same month in the year-ago period. Production also saw a 15.6 per cent rise at 8.22 million tonne as against 7.11 million tonne in December 2000.

The major manufacturers including ACC and Gujarat Ambuja have reported increases in December production and despatch figures. Cumulative despatch figures for the April-December 2001-02 period also saw an increase at 74.51 million tonne as against 69.42 million tonne for the same period during 2000-01. This signifies a 7.33 per cent rise in despatch figures for the period which augurs well for the industry which had witnessed a negative two per cent growth in the
previous fiscal.

Production figures during April-December 2001-02 also saw an increase at 74.39 million tonne as against 69.66 million tonne in the same year ago-period.

ACC saw a 33.3 per cent rise in despatches at 9.84 lakh tonne during December 2001 as against 7.38 lakh tonne in the same month last year. Production also saw a significant rise at 9.38 lakh tonne as against 7.66 lakh tonne in the same month in 2000. Cumulative despatch figures for the April-December 2001-02 period also saw a 13.52 per cent rise at 88.82 lakh tonne as against 78.24 lakh tonne in the same period in 2000-01.