FREETOWN: Sierra Leone diamond exports rose 28 percent in 2010 to $109 million (80 million euros), the mining ministry said Monday, showing recovery after being hit by the global recession. In a statement, the mineral resources ministry said diamond export figures showed “a slight increase of 28 percent for 2010 compared to 2009 which had a low export figure of 79 million US dollars.” Despite the increase, figures are still much lower than those in 2007 - when exports reached $142 million- attributed to “the slow export and cost, due to the world recession, in prices per carat for diamonds which dropped significantly.” “In the Sierra Leone context, there has been a considerable cut down in artisanal diamond mining because surface mining does not yield” as much as before. – Agence France
