CARACAS: Production by Venezuela's state-owned steelmaker Sidor rose 39 percent to 2.5 million liquid tonnes in 2011 compared to the previous year, President Hugo Chavez said on Friday.
The improved figure was still, however, far from the company's stated aim of 4 million tonnes for last year.
Chavez's socialist government nationalized Sidor, which is the biggest steelmaker in the Andean region and the Caribbean, in 2008.
Production fell after that to 1.8 million tonnes in 2010, its lowest level in a decade, when a drought triggered electricity rationing across the country.
"We should congratulate all the Sidor workers, despite the difficulties we have been through," Chavez said, announcing the 2011 figure during an annual speech to parliament.
Based in the southeastern state of Bolivar, Sidor has an installed capacity of 5 million tonnes.
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