TAIPEI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's industrial production index rose 8.5 percent in April from a year earlier to 102.94, mainly driven by strong demand for electronic components, according to the island's economic affairs authority earlier this week.

The sub-index for the manufacturing sector grew 9.1 percent from a year earlier to 103.52 in April, setting a new monthly high.

In the manufacturing sector, the heavily weighted electronic component production rose 18.51 percent year on year to 108.76, also a new record.

In the meantime, Taiwan's wholesale revenue grew 2.8 percent year-on-year to 808 billion new Taiwan dollars (27 billion U.S. dollars) in April, while the retail and catering sectors also increased 3.6 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.