Value addition for iron ore at 25.42% in 2009-10

The value addition of iron ore within Orissa has been only 25.42 per cent of the state's total production of the mineral in 2009-10. Out of a total iron ore output of 79 million tonnes in the last fiscal, value addition within the state was done only for 20.09 million tonnes.

The value addition in 2008-09 was slightly better at 31.84 per cent.

Out of a total iron ore output of 77.19 million tonnes in 2008-09, the quantity used for value addition within the state was 24.58 million tonnes.

Iron ore exports from the state, however, have shown a steady decline over the past three years, says state steel and mines minister Raghunath Mohanty.

 

The export of iron ore from the state which stood at 26.91 per cent of the total production in 2007-08, dipped to 21.18 per cent in 2008-09 and fell further to 19.05 per cent in 2009-10.

As against the iron ore production of 74.50 million tonnes in 2007-08, 77.19 million tonnes in 2008-09 and 79.06 million tonnes in 2009-10, the exports stood at 20.05 million tonnes, 16.25 million tonnes and 15.05 million tonnes respectively.

Similar trend has also been observed in case of chromite ore exports from the state which has slided in the past three years. The percentage of chromite exports from the state which stood at 24 per cent of the overall production in 2007-08 fell to 19.36 per cent in 2008-09 and 15.64 per cent in 2009-10.

As against the chromite ore production of 3.28 million tonnes in 2007-08, 2.79 million tonnes in 2008-09 and 3.40 million tonnes in 2009-10, the exports stood at 793,241 tonnes, 541,062 tonnes and 533106 tonnes respectively.

The value addition for chromite ore within the state has been to the extent of 56.54 per cent in 2007-08, 65.4 per cent in 2008-09 and 51.85 per cent in 2009-10