KARACHI: Cement sector has shown more resilience than other sectors of economy as it posted healthy growth in despatches of over six percent during the first seven months of current fiscal year that ended on 31st January.

Cement despatches from July 2014 to January 2015 increased by 6.18 percent to 20.022 million tons compared with despatches of 18.857 million tons during the corresponding period of last fiscal year.

"The most pleasant aspect of this growth is that it is led by domestic consumption which increased by 9.45 percent during this period" a spokesman of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) said here on Wednesday.

Further analyzing the despatches, factories located in north showed robust growth in domestic consumption as they despatched 12.948 million tons of cement in local markets from July 2014 to January 2015 against 11.703 million tons during same period of last fiscal year depicting growth of 10.63 percent.

The South based factories registered growth of 3.76 percent in domestic despatches from July 2014 to January 2015 as their local sales recorded in this period were 2.537 million tons against 2.444 million tons during same period last year.

In exports however, the North based mills registered decline of 11.49 percent as exports were restricted to 2.782 million tons in first seven months of this fiscal against 3.143 million tons during July 2013 to January 2014. South based factories were able to increase cement exports during first seven months of current fiscal year by 12.18 percent to 1.756 million tons from 1.565 Million Tons in corresponding period of last fiscal year.