ISLAMABAD: Higher output in textiles, auto, cement, sugar, iron and steel, fertiliser and the petroleum sectors led to the overall increase in the Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) by 14.85 per cent during 2020-21 (FY21) against the previous fiscal year.

The LSM data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday has been compiled using figures from the provincial bureaus of statistics, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) and the Ministry of Industries.

Production output in almost all sectors increased in FY21 against FY20. These sectors included textile, food, beverages and tobacco, coke and petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automobiles, fertilisers, non-metallic mineral products, paper and boards and iron and steel products.

However, the output was negative in products including wood, engineering, electronics, rubber products and leather.

Textile sector was the top contributor in LSM and witnessed an increase of 15.31pc, followed by food, beverages & tobacco 11.01pc, coke & petroleum products 18.05pc, pharmaceuticals 12.03pc, chemicals 19.19pc, automobiles 51.06pc, non-metallic mineral products 26.66pc, fertilisers 7.23pc, paper & board 3.35pc and iron & steel products 15.58

The sectors showing decline during FY21 compared to FY20 included electronics 4.43pc, engineering products 15.37, leather products 26.45pc, wood products 39.35pc and rubber products 14.99pc.

Sugar witnessed 16.66pc higher production in FY21 at 5.69 million tonnes compared to 4.88m tonnes in FY20.

Petroleum products witnessed an increase of 18.05pc as the output went up from 12.13 billion litres during FY20 to 14.32bn litres in FY21.

High speed diesel production in country witnessed a growth of 23.92pc at 5.61bn litres. Petrol (motor spirit) production was enhanced by 27.61pc to 3.424bn litres during FY21.

Output of furnace oil increased by 14.65pc while the production of LPG and kerosene oil witnessed growth of 15.08pc and 9.12pc, respectively.

Cement witnessed 27.31pc growth at 49.80bn tonnes.

In FY21, 50,486 tractors were produced, witnessing a growth of 54.83pc. The country manufactured 2.47m motorcycles – showing a growth of 36.53pc in F21 against the previous fiscal

The PBS also released provisional numbers of LSM output for the month of June 2021 which showed a growth of 18.42pc against the period in FY20.

The highest surge has been witnessed in the automobile sector with 88.91pc growth in June 2021 compared to June 2020, while textile sector posted growth of 11.82pc, coke & petroleum products 38.93pc, iron & steel products 32.93pc, non metallic mineral products 32.60pc, chemicals 24.53pc, leather products 24.35pc, pharmaceuticals 10.82pc, electronics 10.58pc and fertilisers sector posted a growth of 9.95pc.

Two sectors — rubber products and wood products — witnessed a decline in production by 25.39pc and 53.73pc, respectively, in June 2021 against the same month in FY20.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2021