Botswana recorded a marked improvement in the export of diamonds in May when compared to the previous month.
Figures released by the Bank of Botswana showed that the southern African country exported rough and polished diamonds worth $324 million during the period under review, which was a 45.5 percent leap from April when the country earned $222 million.
However, exports in May were about 36 percent lower when compared to what the country realised a year ago.
The central bank data also indicated that Botswana exported $985.7 million worth of diamonds in the first quarter of the year compared to $1.2 billion realised during the same period last year.
Botswana’s diamond exports dropped 20 percent to $1.5 billion in the first five months of 2012.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
