Botswana Q1 Diamond Exports Increase 6.8%
June 05, 08 by Ronit Scheyer
Diamond exports from Botswana in the first three months of 2008 “grew rapidly compared to the previous quarter,” according to a financial report released by the Bank of Botswana. Exports increased by 63.6 percent measured in the Botswanan Pula and 53.9 percent in U.S. dollars, over the last quarter of 2007.
However, year-over-year, the growth rates for diamond exports were much lower, at 10.8 percent (6.8 percent in U.S. dollars).
Botswana exported a total of P6.4 billion worth of diamonds, up from P3.9 billion in the last quarter of 2007, as reported by Mmegi/The Reporter, while Debswana’s production for the year totaled 33.6 million carats, down from a record 34.3 million in 2006.
Debswana is a 50/50 joint venture between the government of Botswana and De Beers.
