Cement industry sees healthy trend

Despite falling cement prices in some major markets, the cement industry has witnessed a steady increase in production and dispatch figures for  January 2002, as against the previous level during the same month last fiscal.

Cement production increased to 8.78 million tons, a rise of 18.32 Percent over 7.42 million tons in January 2001, this is also an increase of 6.68 percent over 8.23 million tons in December last year.

Cement dispatches also saw a 19.15  percent rise at 8.77 million tons for January as against 7.36 million tons for the same month last year. This was also an increase over the December 2000 figures of 8.35 million tons. The cumulative production figures for April – January to 2001 – 02 also saw an increase at 83.19 million tons as against 77.08 million tons in the same period last fiscal. Despatches also for a 8.48 percent increase at 33.30 million tons for the period as against 76.78 million tons in the same period last fiscal.

Cement major ACC posted a formidable 28.92 percent rise in shipments to10.7 lakh tones, up from 8.3 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year. The company’s dispatches during April-January 2002  increased to  99.5 lakh tones as against 86.5 lakh tones last year. In January 2002, AC C produced 10.6 lakh tones as against 8.3 lakh tones last year.