"Production cutbacks" refers to a reduction in the amount or rate at which something is being produced.
Full definition
The energy and utility issues made some progress today, as the price of crude oil (now at over $ 52 a barrel) moved higher on hopes
of production cutbacks.
Meanwhile, there also is a full plate of economic news this week, but all of that, and the latest rise in oil quotations following the agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC oil members
on production cutbacks, probably will take a backseat to the Fed.
Sinclair attributes the higher prices to a combination of factors including «the effects of
the production cutbacks by OPEC and non-OPEC foreign producers finally kicked in, not to mention speculative money going into crude oil futures.»