NZ manufacturing activity grows 0.9% in December, value drop on cheaper dairy

NZ manufacturing activity grows 0.9% in December, value drop on cheaper dairy
By Paul McBeth March 9 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand manufacturing activity expanded in the December quarter as the sector ramped production, although cheaper dairy prices led to a drop in value. The volume of total manufacturing rose a seasonally adjusted 0.9 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31, its second quarter of expansion, and up 1.5 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to Statistics New Zealand. That activity was underpinned by a 7.2 percent increase in petroleum and coal product manufacturing, a 1.9 percent...