Tokyo - Japan's industrial output in March marked the first growth in six months, thanks to increased production in the high-tech and machinery sectors, the government said Thursday.

The March output rose 1.6 per cent in seasonally-adjusted terms, following a 9.4-per-cent drop in February and a record 10.2-per-cent fall in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report.

The industrial production data for the 2008 fiscal year that ended March 31 marked a record 12.7-per-cent fall, the first drop in seven years.

The government attributed the output decline to the global economic turmoil, which slowed exports.

Japan's manufacturers expect output to continue its rise in April and May.