Mexico's March Mining Production Up 30% From Year Ago

MEXICO CITY, May 31, 2010 (Dow Jones Commodities News Select via Comtex) -- Mexico's mining production rose 30% in March from the year earlier month, thanks to big increases in output of silver and gold which had been affected a year ago by a strike.

The National Statistics Institute, or Inegi, said Monday that silver production more than doubled to 237,005 kilograms from 95,903 kilograms in March 2009.

Gold production saw a similar jump to 5,885 kilograms from 2,414 kilograms a year earlier, and lead production increased fourfold to 9,359 metric tons from 2,131.

A two-month strike last year at the metals refinery of mining and metals giant Industrias Penoles (PE&OLES.MX) had a big effect on the country's output of silver, gold and lead.

Copper production fell 4.2% from March 2009, reaching 18,481 metric tons compared with 19,292 a year earlier.

Mexico's copper production continues to be limited by a nearly three-year old strike that has kept shut the country's biggest copper mine at Cananea closed.

Inegi reported a 26% rise in iron production for March to 684,690 metric tons, while coal production slipped 3.8% to 785,478 metric tons.

First quarter mining production was 18% than in the same period of 2009.