Zambia copper production to rise 4% to record, lobby group says

Zambia’s copper output will climb by about 4% to a record this year as operators near a resolution with government over power prices, according to the Chamber of Mines in Africa’s second-biggest producer of the metal. Production will increase to about 800 000 metric t, said Nathan Chishimba, president at the lobby group. That would be higher than the 770 600 t mined last year, and exceed a previous record of about 790 000 t in 2013. The forecast is less optimistic than a projection by Christopher Yaluma, the mining minister, who sees output jumping to 850 000 t.