KIEV, April 16 - Ukraine’s natural gas output fell 1.1% year-on-year to 1.75 billion cu m in March from 1.77 Bcm in March 2012, an energy and coal industry ministry official said Tuesday.

The March output rose 10.8% month-on-month from 1.58 Bcm produced in February, the official said.

In January through March the country’s natural gas extraction fell 0.1% year-on-year to 5.12 Bcm from 5.14 Bcm in January-March 2012, the official said, citing preliminary figures.