MUMBAI (Commodity Online): Tata Steel posted 19% rise in sales in the second quarter ended September 2009.

One of the country’s largest private steel producers saw sales cross 1,456,000 tonne in the second quarter of 2009-10 compared with 1,220,000 tonne in the previous corresponding period.

In the second quarter ended September 2009, Tata Steel recorded a 14% jump in saleable steel production to 1,519,000 tonne over the second quarter of 2008-09. Crude steel rose to 1,640,000 tonne from 1,356,000 tonne, up 21% over the second quarter last year. Hot metal output rose 21% to touch 1,795,000 tonne against 1,486,000 tonne in the previous corresponding period.

According to a press release, the company’s total steel sales recorded a 21% rise in the first half of 2009-10 at 2,875,000 tonne in the April-September 2009 period against 2,380,000 tonne. Out of this, sales of long products used in construction increased by 49% during the period under review against long product sales in the same period last year.

Tata Steel’s higher sales performance was matched by an increased production level in the first half. The company reported a 22% higher production of saleable steel to 3,061,000 tonne in the first half of the year. Crude steel output jumped 21% to 3,143,000 tonne in April-September 2009, while hot metal production jumped to 3,480,000 tonne against 2,872,000 tonne in the same period last year.