Botswana's main diamond company has paused production at some of its mines, citing a prolonged downturn in global demand.
Debswana, a joint venture between the government and global mining giant De Beers, saw its sales revenue drop by almost 50% last year.
Botswana is the world's largest producer of diamonds by value. The industry accounts for a quarter of the country's total annual income (GDP), according to the International Monetary Fund.
On Friday, Debswana said production this year is being scaled back to 15 million carats - approximately a 40% decrease from its output in 2023.
The company, which accounts for around 90% of Botswana's diamond sales expects this reduced output will lead to "significant cost savings" across areas like fuel and electricity.
