China's equipment manufacturing industry reported 7.3 percent growth in industrial output in the first four months, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Thursday.

Industrial output of the equipment manufacturing sector was especially high in March when it was about 10.1 percent. In April it was about 9.7 percent, the ministry said.

During the January-April period, output of large tractors was up 50 percent year on year. Output of medium-sized tractors was up33.2 percent, the figures showed.

Output of machines used for harvesting crops was up 33 percent year on year and output of machines operating on farmlands was up 25.8 percent.

Output of equipment for oil refining and chemical production was up 25.6 percent year on year and output of printing equipment was up 21.9 percent year on year in the January-April period, the figures showed.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2009)