GAZETTE REPORTER
A Statistics Botswana report titled Index of the Physical Volume of Mining Production Fourth Quarter 2021, revealed that Botswana’s Index of Mining Production stood at 82.0 during the fourth quarter of 2021, showing a year-on-year growth of 28.1 percent, from 64.0 registered during the fourth quarter of 2020.
The main contributor to the increase in mining production came from Diamonds, which contributed 23.1 percentage points.
The report shows that diamond production increased 1, 038 thousand carats from 4, 290 thousand carats during the fourth quarter of 2020 to 5, 329 thousand carats during the same quarter of 2021. “The increase was a result of intensified production strategy aligned with stronger trading conditions,” says the report. “The quarter-on-quarter analysis shows that production registered a decrease of 18.0 percent (1,172 thousand carats) during the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with 6, 500 thousand carats during the third quarter of 2021.”
The report by Statistics Botswana also reveals that production of copper in concentrates commenced during the third quarter of 2021 following six years of non-production as the associated mine was undergoing liquidation. “During the fourth quarter of 2021, an amount of 4, 225 tonnes of Copper in Concentrates was produced,” shows the report. “The quarter-on-quarter analysis shows that production decreased by 43.8 percent (3,292 tonnes) during the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with 7, 517 tonnes produced during the third quarter of 2021.”
Coal production increased by 9.3 percent (40, 099 tonnes), from 429, 382 tonnes during the fourth quarter of 2020, to 469, 481 tonnes in the current quarter. “The increase came as a result of the efforts made to meet increased demand from both domestic and international markets, particularly that new markets have been identified,” the report indicates. “On the other hand, quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that coal production decreased by 14.5 percent (79, 746 tonnes) compared with 549, 227 tonnes during the third quarter of the current year.”
Gold and Soda Ash were the only negative contributors to mining production, at negative 0.8 and negative 0.1 of a percentage point respectively. Gold production decreased by 49.1 percent (109 kilograms) during the fourth quarter of 2021, from 222 kilograms during the same quarter of the previous year to 113 kilograms during the period under review.
“Similarly, the quarter-on-quarter analysis reflects a decrease of 35.9 percent (63 kilograms) from 176 kilograms in the preceding quarter to 113 kilograms during the fourth quarter of 202,” says the government statistics agency report. “The decrease was a result of the deteriorating lifespan of the mine arising from resource depletion.”
Soda Ash production decreased by 4.4 percent (3, 116 tonnes) from 70, 159 tonnes during the fourth quarter of 2020 to 67, 043 tonnes produced during the period under review. On the other hand, quarter-on-quarter analysis shows that production went up by 2.8 percent (1, 848 tonnes) during the period under review, from 65, 195 tonnes during the previous quarter.