China's gold production rose 13.49 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2009 to 146.505 tons, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday.

The total industrial output value of gold companies reached 60.08 billion yuan (US$8.79 billion) in the six months nationwide, down 0.16 percent year-on-year, the ministry said, without giving details.

Profit of these companies reached 5.57 billion yuan, down 15.75 percent year-on-year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2009)