Factory output up 18.3% in Aug

Manufacturing output accelerated further in August from the previous month, supported by the strong performance of nine sectors, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

The NSO’s Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries released yesterday showed the Volume of Production Index (VOPI) grew 18.3 percent in August compared to the revised 14.9 percent in July.

“Three of the 20 major sectors significantly contributed to the increase in production output, namely: furniture and fixtures (175.4 percent), chemical products (145 percent), and leather products (101.9 percent),” the NSO said.

Other sectors that posted two-digit increments were basic metals (51.9 percent), tobacco products (38.3 percent), beverages (36.3 percent), non-metallic mineral products (23.6 percent), wood and wood products (21.6 percent), and rubber and plastic products (20.4 percent).

The Value of Production Index (VAPI) also grew at a much faster rate of 10.7 percent in August compared to the 7.7 percent percent growth in July.

The two major sectors that mainly influenced the increase in production values were chemical products and leather products, which registered growths of 137.2 percent and 104.5 percent, respectively.

Other major sectors that contributed to the growth with two-digit increases were furniture and fixtures (52.9 percent), beverages (43.7 percent), basic metals (33.8 percent), tobacco products (28.5 percent), non-metallic mineral products (26.4 percent), and wood and wood products (24.4 percent).

The Value of Net Sales Index (VaNSI) posted an annual increment of 22 percent in August from the 19.9 percent growth posted in July.

The NSO said the major contributing factor was the expansion in sales value in chemical products with an annual growth of 181.9 percent.

This was followed by eight other major sectors that posted two-digit increases, namely: furniture and fixtures (72.2 percent), wood and wood products ( 39.5 percent), basic metals ( 29.3 percent), tobacco products (25.8 percent), beverages (19.3 percent), footwear and wearing apparel (13.5 percent), leather products (11.5 percent), and textiles (10.3 percent).

The Volume of Net Sales Index (VoNSI) also continued to rise as it exhibited a twodigit annual increment of 30.3 percent in August from the previous month’s 27.9 percent expansion.

The major contributing factor was the expansion in sales output of 14 major sectors of the manufacturing industry led by furniture and fixtures and chemical products, with three-digit growth of 210.1 percent and 191.1 percent, respectively.

Major sectors that also influenced the expansion with two-digit increases were basic metals (46.7 percent), wood and wood products (36.3 percent), tobacco products (35.3 percent), rubber and plastic products (29.9 percent), machinery except electrical (15.1 percent), beverages (13.1 percent), and leather products (10.1 percent).

The average capacity utilization for the month was at 83.4 percent.

The NSO said 50 percent of the major sectors registered capacity utilization rates of 80 percent or more.

These sectors were petroleum products; basic metals; non-metallic mineral products; machinery except electrical; food manufacturing; electrical machinery; paper and paper products; chemical products; rubber and plastic products; and wood and wood products.

“The proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity (90 percent to 100 percent) was 22.7 percent in August 2013,” the NSO said.

“About 55.1 percent of the establishments operated at 70- to 89-percent capacity, while 22.2 percent of the establishments operated below 70 percent capacity,” it said further.