Zambia's Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) plans to resume cobalt production which was suspended more than ten years ago after international prices collapsed, an executive at state-owned ZCCM-IH said on Tuesday, adding that the rising prices were a strong economic reason to resume cobalt processing.

MCM would begin processing concentrates for cobalt from next year, with the plan to produce between 4,000 and 5,000 tonnes per year.