Nigeria Daily News: Africa: Nam 9th Biggest Diamond Producer Globally

Africa: Nam 9th Biggest Diamond Producer Globally
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Staff  on 24/09/2012 08:35:00


NAMIBIA remained under the top 10 diamonds producers in the world last year, the
latest statistics released by the Kimberley Process have shown. With a total
production of nearly 1,3 million carats, Namibia remained the ninth biggest
diamond producer in the world.
"Namibia produced just over 1% of the world's diamonds by weight, but 6% by
value. The country's diamonds continued to be of the highest average value of
the top producing countries," economist Robin Sherbourne said analysing the
latest figures for IJG Securities.
Total diamond production fell from 133 million carats in 2010 to 124 million
carats last year. The total value of production rose from US$12 billion to
US$14,4 billion.
The Russian Federation was again the world's largest producer of rough diamonds
by carats, a position it has held since 2004. The top nine producers accounted
for over 98% of global production by carats and almost 96% by value, Sherbourne
said.
Zimbabwe produced over eight million carats in 2011 compared to under one
million in 2009, he said.
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