The Bank of Namibia said diamond output in 2013 is likely to show a slight fall to 1.64 million carats from 1.67 million carats in 2012.
Mining is critical to the country's economy, and is likely to show a slowdown, the central bank said. Namibia is the fifth-biggest diamond producer in the world.
Overall mining output will decrease by 0.9 percent in 2013 from 12 percent in 2012 “owing to developments in diamond and uranium production,” the bank said.
But diamond output is seen rising by 2.5 percent next year, boosted by marine mining, the bank said in an economic outlook.
“The diamond industry continues to operate at near capacity, as onshore production continues to wind-down, reducing production over the medium term," the central bank said. “Offshore production is, thus, expected to continue to be the main source in total diamond extraction.”
Namibia is the world’s biggest miner of offshore diamonds and the fourth-largest producer of uranium.
