Guyana's bauxite industry expanded during the first half of 2026 despite heavy and prolonged rainfall that flooded mining pits and disrupted extraction for extended periods, according to the Ministry of Finance's Mid-Year Report.
Bauxite production increased by 7.3% to 1,763,222 tonnes during the first six months of the year.
The growth came from both major producers, with the larger operator producing 1,642,891 tonnes and the smaller operator producing 120,331 tonnes.
But production would have been higher had weather conditions not interrupted operations.
The Ministry said heavy and prolonged rainfall flooded pits and disrupted extraction for extended periods during the first half.
The weather disruption forms part of a broader pattern affecting Guyana's productive economy in 2026.
Agriculture was also hit by above-normal rainfall, while the government has warned that the second half could bring the opposite challenge as El Niño conditions develop.
Despite the flooding, the bauxite subsector expanded and the government has maintained an expectation of stronger full-year performance.
Bauxite output for 2026 is projected at approximately 4.351 million tonnes, with the subsector expected to grow by 10.2%.
The first-half result is significant because it shows that weather-related disruption did not translate into an overall contraction in bauxite production.
It also comes as the wider mining and quarrying sector recorded estimated growth of 40.7% during the first half.
Oil and gas remained the dominant contributor to that expansion, but gold, bauxite and other mining also recorded gains.
The bauxite result also needs to be viewed against the country's broader construction-led economic expansion.
The other mining and quarrying subsector, which includes sand, stone, diamonds and manganese, grew by an estimated 40% during the period. Sand declarations increased by 61.7%, driven largely by continued construction activity.
For bauxite producers, however, the immediate challenge is increasingly about operating through weather volatility.
The Ministry projects the second half of 2026 to bring below-normal rainfall across Guyana as the country transitions toward El Niño conditions.
Government says El Niño has historically brought severe drought episodes that can disrupt agriculture, water supplies and other economic activity.
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