Gold production in Mozambique increased 53% in the first quarter of the year, compared to the same period in 2022, to 346.3 kilograms, according to official government data compiled yesterday (2) by Lusa.
According to the economic and social balance of the execution of the State Budget (OE) from January to March 2023, this production represents 26% of the total expected for 2023, which is almost 1342 kilograms, and also compares with 226 kilograms of gold produced in Mozambique in the first quarter of 2022.
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This performance results, according to the document, from “greater control of artisanal mining” due to the “good performance of producing companies”, the “continued exploration of hard rock deposits” and the introduction of a new processing plant, as well as the resumption of exploration activities in Manica province.
The same document also states that, among metallic metals, tantalite production also grew 53% in the same period, to 64.5 tonnes, ilmenite increased 48%, to 747,734 tonnes, zircon grew 11%, to 33,346 tonnes, and rutile fell 14%, to 1682 tonnes.
In the group of non-metallic minerals, graphite stands out, with an 11% achievement against the objectives for the whole year, with 28 608 tonnes, a decrease of 39% compared to the same period in 2022.
In the group of precious and semi-precious stones, “the highlight goes to ruby, the mineral with the greatest weight in the global structure, having registered a production of more than 567,463 carats, corresponding to a realisation of 8% in relation to the annual plan and a decrease of 54.5% in relation to the same period of the previous year”, the report points out.
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Overall, the Mozambican government foresees a 23.1% growth in the production plan for the extractive industry sector for 2023, supported by “increased production of rubies, coal, heavy sands (ilmenite, zircon and rutile), natural gas and construction materials”.
