MPI dropped in December 2011 | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

The manufacturer production index (MPI) for December 2011 stood at 139.78, down 25.8 per cent on December 2010 due to the impact of the recent great flood, Apiwat Assamaporn, deputy director of the Office of Industrial Economics, said on Friday.

The capacity utilisation of the industry sector for the month stood at 52.3 per cent as flood affected manufacturers were forced to close down their production lines, he said.

The MPI improved from minus 47 per cent in November 2011, showing a promising sign of recovery. Industries that caused the MPI to be minus figures in December included automobiles, hard disk drives, electronics and air-conditioners, he added.

The production and sales of air-conditioners dropped 45.8 per cent and 52.2 per cent respectively because supply chain of the industry was also affected, said Mr Apiwat.

Car production went down 30.4 per cent, while car sales fell 52.2 per cent, because of the same reason, he added.

He said the production of hard disk drive also dropped 55.7 per cent and sales of the product went down 60.5 per cent because the inundated industrial estates were major production bases for this industry.

However, the production and sales of cement went up 1.3 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively, on the back of strong demand as people renovated inundated houses after the floodwater had receded.