Peru’s biggest cement producer, Cementos Lima SA posted first quarter net income of PEN70.58 (US$25.21m), compared with PEN55.44m in the same quarter in the previous year.

The increase was due mainly to higher cement sales which rose on house-building and private sector  demand, the company said.

Revenue totaled PEN279.16m, compared with PEN259.49m in the same period a year earlier.

The company said cement production in the first quarter was 828,529t, up 1.6% from the same quarter a year earlier.