Mozambique: Government expects 5% increase in ruby production in 2025

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Mozambique: Government expects 5% increase in ruby production in 2025

12:11 CAT | 26 May 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Gemfields]

Mozambique expects to produce more than 4.1 million carats of rubies in 2025, an increase of 5% compared to the 2024 production, according to the government.

According to the government document on the economic forecast for 2025, production of 4,143,832 carats of rubies is expected from mining concessions in Mozambique from January to December. Rubies comprise the “product with the greatest weight in the overall structure of precious and semi-precious stones” produced in the country, with 76% of the total produced this year destined for export.

“A growth of around 5% is expected in 2025, compared to the amount produced in 2024, resulting from the increase in the capacity of the processing plant” of SLR Mining, according to the same economic and budgetary estimate.

Rubies production in Mozambique had already soared in 2024 to almost four million carats, an increase of 46% compared to the previous year, according to previous government data.

“In the group of precious and semi-precious stones, the biggest highlight goes to rubies, which recorded in the period under analysis a level of execution of 128% in relation to the annual plan and a growth rate of 46%,” reads the documentation of the results of exports last year.

Ruby production thus grew from 2,710,617.70 carats in 2023, to 3,946,506.90 carats in 2024, when the target set by the government was 3,080,895 carats last year.

According to the document, this growth was the result of “the good performance of the company SLR Mining, which assumed the position of largest producer of this mineral resource, with the start of operations of another processing plant”.

“This company was responsible for the production of more than 70% of the total of this mineral resource. Another factor is the full resumption of production by the company Moza Minerals, combined with the fact that the company Montepuez Ruby Mining carried out intensive excavation in three more highly productive blocks,” the statement reads.

Ruby production in Mozambique fell in 2023 to 2.7 million carats, compared to 4.2 million carats in 2022 and five million carats in 2021.

The exploration of rubies alone at the MRM mine in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, has generated almost one billion Euros since 2012, according to data previously released by Gemfields, which owns 75% of the company.

According to data up to December from the “G Factor for Natural Resources” report, which aims to promote “transparency” on the level of human resource wealth shared by Gemfields “with host country governments” from the mining, oil, wood gas and fishing sectors, MRM had a total revenue of US$151.3 million (€141 million) in 2023.

Since Gemfields acquired 75% of MRM – in February 2012, the year mining exploration began, with ruby auctions starting two years later – the mine has accumulated revenues of over US$1,055 million (€982.7 million), paying the Mozambican state, in the same period, US$257.4 million (€239.7 million).

MRM, owned 75% by Gemfields and 25% by Mwiriti Limitada, a Mozambican company, paid the Mozambican state US$53.2 million (€49.6 million) in royalties and taxes in 2023, according to the same report.

Source: Lusa