LAFARGE Cement Zimbabwe (Lafarge) saw a cement volume decline of 55 percent during the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, attributable to the startup mode as the cement mills were restarted in February following the collapse of the cement mill house roof in October last year.

The cement maker said one of the existing cement ball mills was decommissioned to make way for the installation of the new Vertical Roller Mill (VRM) that will double the company’s capacity after commissioning in Q2.

The company’s Dry Mortars volumes fell by 23 percent compared to the same period last year due to the suppressed cement availability post the cement mill house roof collapse in October 2021 as cement is a key input in Dry Mortar products