LAHORE: Cement consumption increased 37.04 percent in August 2023, with total dispatches standing at 4.518 million tonnes compared to 3.297 million tonnes last August.
According to All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) data issued on Monday, local cement dispatches in August 2023 were 3.793 million tonnes compared to 2.909 million tonnes in August 2022, up 30.38 percent.
Exports witnessed a healthy growth of 87.07 percent as volumes grew from 387,440 tonnes in August 2022 to 724,777 tonnes in August 2023.
Factories up north sold 3.252 million tonnes, up 25.28 percent from 2.596 million tonnes in last August. Similarly, factories down south dispatched 1.265 million tonnes in August 2023 that was a whopping 80.63 percent more compared to 700,436 tonnes during August 2022.
In the domestic market, sales of northern region factories stood at 3.088 million tonnes in August 2023, up 23.32 percent from 2.504 million tonnes in August 2022. South-based units dispatched 704,582 tonnes, up 73.99 percent from 404,959 during August 2022.
Both regions also posted better exports compared to last year, with the factories up north sending abroad 164,195 tonnes from 91,963 tonnes in August 2022, and south-based units exporting 560,582 tonnes in August 2023 from 295,477 tonnes in last August. In percentage terms the increase was 78.54 percent for the north, and 89.72 percent for the south.
In July-August 2023, total cement dispatches (domestic and exports) were 7.747 million tonnes, up 45.17 percent from 5.337 million tonnes during the same period last year.
Local sales went up 37.05 percent during the two months to stand at 6.573 million tonnes against 4.796 million tonnes during the same period last year. Exports went up by 117.13 percent to 1.175 million tonnes from 540,957 tonnes in July-August 2022.
The share of factories up north in local sales was 5.440 million tonnes, rising 32 percent from 4.121 million tonnes during July-August 2022. Exports from the north increased by 76.32 percent to 286,009 tonnes during July-August 2023 compared with 162,210 tonnes exported during the same period last year. Total dispatches by the north grew 33.68 percent to 5.726 million tonnes from 4.284 million tonnes during the period under review.
Domestic sales down south rose by 67.91 percent to stand at 1.132 million tonnes in July-August 2023, from only 674,436 tonnes during the same period last fiscal, whereasexports from the region also grew by a massive 134.61 percent to stand at 888,559 tonnes in July-August 2023 compared with 378,747 tonnes in the same period last year. Total dispatches by the south-based mills increased by 91.89 percent to 2.021 million tonnes during the first two months of the current financial year from 1.053 million tonnes during July-August 2022.
APCMA spokesperson said that once again currency was facing rapid deprecation against the dollar. “Petroleum prices have touched historical high levels and electricity tariff is also rising. Due to these factors, the cost of production as well as goods transportation is increasing day by day that will eventually affect the price for end consumers,” he added. The spokesperson emphasised that the government should give due consideration to these matters to bring the industry out of the current serious situation.