ISLAMABAD: The large-scale manufacturing Industries (LSMI) production grew 5.15 per cent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, compared with the corresponding period of the last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.

The highest increase of 3.3 per cent during July-September (2021/22) was witnessed in the indices monitored by the Ministry of Industries; followed by 1.57 per cent increase in indices monitored by the Provincial Board of Statistics and 0.28 per cent increase in the products monitored by the Oil Companies Advisory Committee.

On a year-on-year basis, the industry grew 1.19 per cent during September 2021, compared with the growth of September 2020, according to the PBS latest data.

The major sectors that showed positive growth during July-September (2021/22) included textiles (0.80 per cent); food, beverages and tobacco (3.39 per cent); coke and petroleum products (4.75 per cent); pharmaceuticals (11.53 per cent); chemicals (4.70 per cent); non-metallic mineral products (1.44 per cent); automobiles (42.64 per cent); iron and steel products (13.77 per cent); leather products (13.94 per cent); paper and board (13.12 per cent); engineering products (3.17 per cent); and wood products (4.44 per cent).

The commodities that witnessed negative growth included fertilisers (2.66 per cent); electronics (4.51 per cent); and rubber products (31.50 per cent).

The provisional QIM is being computed on the basis of the latest production data received from sources, including the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC), Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) and Provincial Bureaus of Statistics.