Ferro-chrome exports surge

Midlands Correspondent
The country has realised over $42 million from ferro-chrome exports in the first two months of the year, Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa has said.

Speaking during a handover ceremony of food and other non-food items donated by Mimosa Mining Company to flood victims in Mberengwa, Minister Chidhakwa said the country had realised a significant increase in the production of ferro-chrome.

He said chrome proceeds had increased to $42 million between January and February this year, from $10,7 million realised during the same period last year.

“We realised over $42 million in January and February this year from ferro-chrome exports. This is a very significant increase because we realised $10,7 million during the same period last year,” he said.

Minister Chidhakwa said the ministry was going to prioritise chrome miners who had tributaries and were already in the chrome mining sector in the redistribution of chrome claims that were ceded to Government by Zimasco and Zimbabwe Alloys.

“We are going to give those that had been subcontracted by Zimasco and Zimbabwe Alloys to mine chrome first priority when we start issuing out the claims that were ceded by the two companies to Government,” he said.

However, we might reduce the number of claims that an individual had to enable a wider inclusion of locals in the chrome mining sector,” he said.

Zim Alloys together with Zimasco jointly controlled about 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s chrome ore claims, mostly found along the Great Dyke.

Government has, since 2015, pressed the two miners to release some ground to enable wider inclusion of locals in the sector.

Minister Chidhakwa said there has been a marginal increase in gold output this year mainly due to incessant rains that were hampering mining activities.

“We recorded a seven percent increase in gold output in January compared to the same period last year. We also had three percent increase in February compared to the same period last year. The rains have affected mining activities and we are hoping that production will increase as the year progresses,” he said.