Manufacturing sales are picking up in New Zealand, with activity rising just over three percent in the December quarter.

That follows a 1.7 percent fall in the three months to September, when the sales reached a nine year low.

Statistics New Zealand spokeswoman Louise Holmes-Oliver says 11 of the 15 manufacturing industries showed increases.

She says industries with the largest volume movements were meat and dairy which were up by 4.6 percent, other food manufacturing was up 5.8 percent and structural steel and fabricated metal products rose 7.9 percent.