The cement sector posted the highest-ever monthly growth of 44.39 per cent in March at 5.773 million tonnes from 3.722m tonnes in the corresponding period last year due to a massive increase in domestic consumption and exports.
According to a local media report that compiled data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement dispatches in March 2021 stood at 4.563m tonnes, up by 42pc compared to 3.214m tonnes in the same period last year whereas, exports surged by 60pc from 507,480 tonnes in March 2020 to 810,962 tonnes in March 2021.
During the month under review, cement mills in the North dispatched 3.809m tonnes to local markets against 2.749m tonnes in March 2020, up by 38.52pc. In March 2021, south-based mills dispatched 753,704 tonnes in domestic markets, which was 62.28pc higher than 464,440 tonnes in the same period last year.
Exports from North-based mills registered an enormous increase of 162.58pc as the volumes increased from 106,759 tonnes in March 2020 to 280,330 tonnes in March 2021.
Exports from the South rose by 32.42pc to 530,632 tonnes in March 2021 from 400,721 tonnes during the same month last year.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal year (9MFY21), total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) were 43.325m tonnes that was 17pc higher than 37.035m tonnes during the corresponding period of last fiscal year.
