ISLAMABAD - After enduring tough days in the last year, Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has, once again, registered growth of 5.75 percent in the month of February over the corresponding period of the last year. The strong performance of the sector in February also pushed up the overall growth figures of the current financial year as in July to February 2009-10, it grew 2.98 percent over the corresponding period of last fiscal year. The signs of recovery in the industrial production started in the second half of this financial year and since then, it kept on improving, which is attributed to growth in consumer goods, auto sector and intermediate goods. However trade analysts pointed out that the prolonged power outages in the industrial hubs of the country were giving a severe blow to industries. The break-up of industrial sector showed that the petroleum sector continued performing dismally and Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) index recorded fell immensely 7.54 percent in February and 6.61 percent in first eight months of this fiscal year. Ministry of Industries, however recorded 3.95 percent growth in February and 3.06 percent in July to February 2009-10. Provincial Bureau of Statistics (BoS) rose 11.33 percent in February and 4.41 percent in the first eight months. The sector-wise performance showed that various products of petroleum sector were gripped under the bearish spell as during the first eight months of the current fiscal year, almost all petroleum products posted negative growth. Furnace oil production was down by 15.26 percent, high-speed diesel 2.99 percent, diesel oil 19.85 percent, kerosene oil 23.11 percent and solvant naptha 13.40 percent, LPG 8.05 percent, jute-batching oil 12.71 percent and jet fuel oil 2.05 percent. In petroleum sector only motor spirits showed growth of 1.32 percent in July-February period of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of last year. In auto sector, production of tractors was up by 26.68 percent, trucks 13.97 percent, buses 10.63 percent, and jeeps and cars by 32.12 percent and motorcycles 57.74 percent. However, the production of LCVs was down 21 percent. In the food sector, production of sugar was down by 3.24 percent, tea blended 3.67 percent, wheat and grain milling 0.67 percent, starch and its products 9.58 percent, beverages 16.07pc and vegetable ghee 0.85pc. However, cooking oil increased 6.89 percent. Refrigerators production increased almost 44.35 percent, deep freezers 22.16 percent, electric fans almost 22 percent, electric motors 58.15 percent and bicycles 18.47 percent. T V sets production declined 22.76 percent, switch gears 58.22 percent, electric transformers 6.13 percent etc. Soda ash up 16.72 percent whereas production of cokes (Pak Steel) decreased almost 20.68 percent, pig iron 39.07 percent, caustic soda 19.68 percent etc.