Feb cement despatches highest in current fiscal

Cement despatches in February have been the highest in the current financial year.

According to the monthly despatches figures released by the Cement Manufacturers' Association, despatches jumped to 10.3 million tonne in the month against 9.3 million tonne in February 2003, a growth of 10.75 per cent. Cement despatches in January were at 10.2 million tonne.

Senior industry sources said, "We are seeing the benefits of a good monsoon. A robust double-digit growth in February will definitely augment the yearly growth figures."

Meanwhile, cement production in February increased 10.83 per cent at 10.33 million tonne against 9.32 million tonne in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Cement production in the April-February period stood at 106.16 million tonne, a rise of 5.6 per cent, compared with 100.47 million tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Despatches in the period were at 105.8 million tonne against 100.3 million tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Despatches at the country's four largest cement companies have also gone up significantly in February.

While despatches at ACC increased 16 per cent at 13.33 lakh tonne, despatches at Larsen & Toubro, including exports, increased 9.7 per cent to 10.9 lakh tonne.

The A V Birla group's Grasim Industries also recorded more than a 16 per cent jump in its despatches, while Gujarat Ambuja Cement registered a rise of 11 per cent in its monthly despatches at 9.69 lakh tonne.