Photo taken on June 16, 2021 shows the 1,098.30-carat diamond discovered by the Debswana Diamond Company in Gaborone, Botswana. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)
Diamond production in Botswana recorded a year-on-year increase of 32.2 percent to 6,500,000 carats in the third quarter of 2021.
GABORONE, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Statistics Botswana (SB)'s quarterly mining review has indicated an increase in the country's diamond production.
The data authority on Thursday said diamond production increased by 32.2 percent from 4,916,000 carats during the third quarter of 2020 to 6,500,000 carats during the same quarter of the current year.
"The increase was a result of planned strategy to align production with stronger trading conditions," said the SB in the Index of the Physical Volume of Mining Production Third Quarter 2021 report.
The SB further said the analysis shows that production registered an increase of 11.6 percent during last quarter compared to the 5,827 thousand carats during the second quarter of 2021.
Meanwhile global diamond miner De Beers has indicated that rough diamonds sales are on a positive trajectory in a communique to shareholders issued earlier on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE).
"Rough diamond demand and midstream sentiment continued to be positive in the final sales cycle of 2021, although as anticipated, we saw some impact on sales ahead of the seasonal closure of polishing factories in southern Africa over the Christmas period," said Chief Executive Officer of De Beers Group, Bruce Cleaver.
Cleaver said in the face of the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, the company's rough diamond sales for the year are higher than 2019 before the onset of the pandemic, and much higher than in 2020.
"Consumer demand for diamond jewellery is continuing to perform very well over the key holiday period, so we head towards the New Year with positive trading conditions and industry sentiment," said Cleaver. ■
