The production of rubies in Mozambique increased 61% in the first half of 2026, to more than 3.1 million carats, driven by the performance of mining companies in Cabo Delgado, the main producing region of that precious stone.
© Lusa
23/09/2026
by
Lusa
Government data on government execution from January to June, compiled by Lusa, indicate that the production of rubies reached 3,183,333 carats, compared to 1,972,110 carats recorded in the homologous period of 2025.
The volume corresponds to 78% of the annual target set by the Government for 2026, fixed at 4.062.547 carats.
According to the half-yearly balance sheet, “relative to ruby, there was a positive execution of 78.4% and a growth rate of 61.4% when compared to the same period of 2025”.
The document adds that this performance results, “to a large extent, from the performance of companies in the province of Cabo Delgado”, despite the constraints faced by one of the main national producers.
The data appear after the production of rubies in Mozambique has registered a strong growth in 2025, increasing 29% to 5,097,439 carats, compared to 3,946,507 carats produced in 2024.
According to the 2025 budget implementation report, ruby, the largest mineral in the gem group, recorded a 123% performance rate and a 29% growth compared to the previous year, a result of “good mining performance and increased demand in the international market”.
Evolution consolidated the growth trajectory observed in recent years, after production had gone from 2,710.618 carats in 2023 to 3,946.507 carats in 2024, before first overcoming the barrier of five million carats in 2025.
Despite this growth, the government set for 2026 a target lower than the production achieved last year, justifying this forecast with the operational limitations faced by the third largest national producer of rubies.
“Now, this forecast is associated with the halting of the production activities of the third largest company producing this gem,” says the budget document. On the other hand, the balance of the first semester indicates that the growth was achieved “despite the paralysis of the activities of the third largest producer of this gem that currently operates with partial capacity”.
Still, the data indicate that the sector has already met more than three quarters of the annual target in the first six months of the year.
Around 70% of the national production of rubies is currently destined for export, a proportion that the government intends to raise to 79% by 2029.
The main operation of the sector continues to be Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM), in the province of Cabo Delgado, considered one of the world's largest producers of rubies.
Despite the increase in production recorded in 2025, the company warned earlier this year of the persistence of the illegal trade in gems and the invasion of prospectors to their mining concession.