Cement production rises by 9% in May

Buoyed by increased construction and infrastructure works, India's cement production in May rose by 9.18 per cent to 14.5 million tonnes (MT) against 13.28 MT in the same month last year. According to data from the Cement Manufacturers' Association, sales grew by 8.8 per cent to 14.21 MT last month against 13.06 MT in May 2009. Both production and sales of cement, however, fell in May this year as compared to the previous month. Indian manufacturers produced 14.69 MT and sold 14.44 MT of cement in April this year. "The sales of cement will fall in the coming months with the onset of the monsoon," an analyst said. Production in the first two months of the current fiscal stood at 29.19 MT against 26.68 MT in the April-May period of the last fiscal. Sales increased to 28.65 MT in April-May 2010, compared to 26.32 MT in the corresponding period last fiscal.