Mozambique recorded an increase of 53 per cent in gold production, corresponding to 346.3 kilos, in the first quarter of the current year.
According to a report unveiled on the Economic and Social Balance of implementation of the State Budget in the first three months of the year, this production represents 26 per cent of the total amount of gold expected to be mined by the end of the year.
"This figure is higher when compared to the 226 kilos of gold produced in the first quarter of 2022. This performance is the result of good development of the companies in the sector, as well as the continuous exploration of hard deposits of rock, the launch of a new processing plant and the resumption of exploration activities in the central province of Manica", reads the document.
The note also points out that, in the same period, among metals, tantalite production also recorded a growth of 53 per cent corresponding to 64,5 tonnes, while ilmenite production grew 48 per cent corresponding to 747,734 tonnes and zircon recorded a growth of 11 per cent, corresponding to 33,345 tonnes.
"However, rutile production fell by 14 per cent corresponding to 1,682 tonnes", says the document, explaining that "among non-metallic minerals, the highlight goes to graphite, production of which fell by 11 per cent corresponding to 28,608 tonnes. This represents a fall of 39 per cent when compared to the same period of 2022."
