Mines in the Marange region is a major souce of diamond but last year the production from the mines dropped, leading to fall in export.

The country’s diamond export earnings also fell to $350m in 2014 from $453m in 2013.

Reuters cited Zimbabwe Mines deputy minister Fred Moyo as saying: "This volume drop in sales reflects a drop in production, which is a result of transition from mining loose gravels to hard rock mining of conglomerates."

Zimbabwe is one of the top diamond-producing countries in the world, and estimated to hold 25% of the world’s opencast extractable diamond reserve.

However, the diamonds found in Marange mines are of lower quality when compared to the diamond found in Murowa mine, south central Zimbabwe.

Around 50% of the shares in mining companies across Marange region is owned by the Zimbabwean government, and the government is reportedly planning to merge all diamond mining companies into one.

Moyo informed the parliament that Antwerp, Belgium and Dubai, were the top consumers of its exports.

 

 

Â