Zambia’s annual copper production has continued to drop with the latest figures showing a 4.6 per cent drop in production figures as of quarter 3 of 2022.
The country produced a total of 565, 806.9 tons of copper between January and September 2022 compared to a total of 593, 500.42 tons for the same period in 2021.
This 4.6 per cent drop in copper production figures represents a total reduction of 27,693.52 tons for the period January 2022 to September 2022 as compared to the same period last year.
This has been attributed to a sustained drop in production figures, to a diversity of operating and supply chain issues including heavy rains in the northwest and floods in Kwazulu natal of South Africa, that are continually impacting the mining supply chains.
This is according to the Zambia Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer Sokwani Chilembo.
The 2022 reduced production level in the mining sector is against the Zambian government’s resolve to increase productivity in the sector with a national target of 3 million metric tons of annual copper production within 10 years.
Zambia is still in talks with Vedanta Minerals Resources over Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) which will be a major contributor once in full operation.
