The Index of Manufacturing—excluding crude oil and petroleum products—registered 129.78 points during March 2017, compared to 120.72 points in February 2017, marking an increase of 7.5% month-on-month (m-o-m).
The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) issued its monthly metadata on the production index of manufacturing and extractive industries in March. The report noted that the total index for the manufacture of food products reached 177.54 points during March, up by 17.3% from February 151.34%, as a result of operating mills with full capacity.
Moreover, the total index of manufacture of chemicals and chemical products reached 179.54 points during March, compared to 126.75 points during February—an increase of 41.6 %—on the back of preparations for the requirements of the agricultural summer season.
Meanwhile, the total index of mining reached 93.95 points during March, compared to 130.27 points during February 2017—a decrease of 27.9%. CAPMAS attributed the decrease to the declined number of export orders of raw salt.
Finally, the total index of manufacture of computers, electronics, and optical products reached 98.59 points during March 2017, compared to 191.41 points during February 2017—a decrease of 48.5%—due to a decline in the number of contracts.
