India, June 10 -- South Africa's manufacturing output sharply decreased in April mainly due to lower production in key sectors including food, metals, automobiles and chemical industries, preliminary data from Statistics South Africa showed on Tuesday.
Manufacturing production fell an unadjusted 6.3 percent year-on-year following a 1.2 percent drop in March. Output has been declining for past several months.
The biggest negative contributions came from a 7.6 percent decline in output in the food and beverages industry. Production shrank 6.3 percent in the iron and steel and related industries.
The motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment industry logged a 13.0 percent slump and production of petroleum, chemical...