From January to April 2021, the country produced the equivalent of 620 kilos of diamonds, with the goal of reaching 9.1 million carats by 2022.
Angola produced a total of 3.1 million carats of diamonds (620 kg) from January to April this year. This is a reasonable performance given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Alexandre Garrett, director of the Planning and Statistics Office of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, during a local forum on the banking and mining sectors.
Angola will continue to support operators to increase diamond production and reach the target of 9.1 million carats (1,820 kg) by 2022, he added.
Also present at the forum, Canga Xaquivuila, director of the Angolan Institute of Geology, said his organization would further develop the country’s significant mineral resources. “The geological institute acts as a gateway, not only to examine and improve the quality and quantity of existing minerals, but also to pave the way for new discoveries and contribute to the revitalisation of the sector, with the objective that it becomes more integrated and adapted to a good business environment”, Xaquivuila said.
With a production of 8 million carats per year, Angola is now ranked fifth in the world among diamond-producing countries.