German manufacturing orders fell a seasonally adjusted 2.9 pct in April from March, according to preliminary data from the Economy and Labour Ministry. Economists, on average, had forecast a decline of 1.0 pct. The ministry said the figures show that German industry is currently propped up by a slight rise in domestic demand for capital goods and consumer goods.Domestic consumer goods orders rose for a seventh consecutive month in April and were up 0.2 pct month-on-month, while orders for capital goods in Germany rose 0.1 pct, the ministry said. Following a good start to the year, the current figures indicate German industry will develop "moderately" over the next few months, it added. Domestic orders declined 0.6 pct in April from March, weighed down by a 1.1 pct decline in orders for intermediate inputs, while foreign orders dropped 5.2 pct. On a two-monthly basis, orders fell a seasonally-adjusted 0.4 pct in March and April from January and February, with domestic orders up 0.5 pct and foreign orders down 1.3 pct, the ministry said.