Mozambique’s gold production fell 12% in the first half of the current year to 713.33 kilograms, reversing a 4% expansion recorded in the first quarter, as mining suspensions in Manica province and operational stoppages in Niassa weighed on output, according to official data from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.
The first-half figure represents 36% of the annual production target of 1,723.24 kilograms set for 2026, according to the ministry’s mid-year execution report, cited by Lusa.
Output in the January–June period compares with 813.33 kilograms produced in the same period of 2025, marking a year-on-year decline of 12%. At current international prices of approximately 127 euros per gram, the roughly 716 kilograms produced in the first six months of the year represent an estimated market value of around 90.8 million euros.
The report attributed the contraction primarily to two factors: the suspension of mining company operations in Niassa for the regularisation of their licences, and the suspension of mining activity in Manica under Decree No. 32/2025 of 30 September.
“Manica province is the largest contributor to gold production,” the mid-year execution report stated. The province’s centrality to national output was also reflected in 2025 results, when gold production fell 17% to 1,349 kilograms — below that year’s annual target — again due to extraction stoppages in Manica.
According to the 2025 budget execution report, last year’s output corresponded to 82% of the annual target, ending a multi-year growth trend that had culminated in a record 1,641 kilograms in 2024. The 2025 decline brought production back to levels close to those recorded in 2022, when output stood at 1,263 kilograms.
Despite the first-half shortfall, the government is maintaining its 2026 forecast of producing more than 1,723 kilograms of gold. If achieved, annual production would set a new all-time record. In documents accompanying the 2026 Economic and Social Plan and State Budget, the executive attributed the target to the performance of leading sector companies and investments directed at expanding productive capacity.
The production decline comes amid a broader tightening of oversight in the mining sector. In July, the government established a multisectoral commission to combat illegal mining, monitor degraded areas, and support the objective of ensuring that all gold produced in Mozambique is refined domestically before export.
In a parallel development, the government authorised in August the resumption of operations at 30 of the 41 mining companies suspended in Manica since September 2025, after those companies met the required environmental and mining standards. The remaining 11 companies remain under assessment, following the suspension ordered in response to disorderly mining practices and their environmental impact.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/18/extractivas-2/producao-de-ouro-diminuiu-12-no-primeiro-semestre/
