Sudan's gold production has reached 74.6 tons within nine months in 2017, Sudan's Ministry of Minerals announced on Thursday.

"The traditional mining companies produced 63.2 tons, doubling the planned production, while the small mining companies produced 0.2 tons and the major mining companies produced 11.2 tons," the ministry said in a report.

The ministry reiterated its commitment to following up licenses of the companies together with their production of other minerals.

It further urged the concerned security bodies to exert more efforts to prevent the smuggling of gold.

The ministry, meanwhile, explained that its objectives for 2018 were to expand minerals exploration, increase the production, monitor the companies, attract investment and introduce modern technologies.

The World Bank, in its most recent report, said Sudan ranked third in Africa in terms of gold production after South Africa and Ghana.

The Sudanese government is seeking to increase the country's gold production to reach 100 tons, which would make Sudan become the second biggest gold producer in Africa and the ninth worldwide.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2017)