ZAMBIAN copper production fell sharply during the first seven months of 2000 due to delays in the arrival of spare parts and equipment for the main mines, the Treasury said this week. Finished copper production fell to 137 554 tonnes in the January-July 2000 period against 167 185 in 1999. In the first eight months of 2000, finished cobalt production came in at 1 937 tonnes compared with 3006 in the same period last year. Production was also hampered by low activity at the two main mines owned by Roan Antelope Mining Corporation (RAMCOZ). – Reuters
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