According to preliminary data from the operating control department of the Gafsa Phosphates Company (CPG), production reached 3 million 664 thousand tons of commercial phosphate in 2016, 45% lower than the company’s forecasts at 6.6 million tons.
CPG Information Officer Ali Houchati said repetitive social protests in the mining basin delegations in 2016 hampered the achievement of this goal.
He added that the blocking of production activities, for four months in 2016, in the delegation of Mdhilla, had bad repercussions on the average production of commercial phosphate, especially sincethis delegation has two production units whose capacity accounts for 20pc of the overall capacity of the company.
According to figures from the operating control department, the largest share of phosphate production in 2016, which was of the order of 2.6 million tons, was provided by the four washing units in Metlaoui and Kef Eddour, while production at Redeyef did not exceed 126 thousand tons throughout the year.
For 2017, the CPG aims to produce 7 million tons of commercial phosphate, notably with the acquisition of new transport and production equipment, in addition to recruitment programs.
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