TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Industrial output in February rose 1.3 pct month-on-month after a fall of 1.5 pct in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The ministry provided the following February month-on-month data, with comparative figures for January: Output - up 1.3 pct vs down 1.5 pct Shipments - up 1.4 pct vs down 1.3 pct Inventories - down 0.6 pct vs down 1.5 pct It also gave the following month-on-month industrial output forecasts: March - up 1.0 pct April - up 0.2 pct Last month, METI forecast industrial output would rise 4.7 pct in February and fall 0.9 pct in March. Private-sector economists had forecast industrial output in February would come in at a rise of 1.5-4.2 pct month-on-month, with consensus of a 2.7 pct rise.