The manganese ore production of state-owned MOIL rose by 4.5 per cent year-on-year to 13.3 lakh tonnes in the April-December period of the current fiscal, the government said on Friday. The sale of manganese ore also rose by 4 per cent to 11.39 tonnes in the first nine months of the current fiscal, compared to the year-ago period. "Coming to the performance in the first nine months of the current financial year, MOIL has registered production of 13.3 lakh manganese ore, which is 4.5 per cent higher and sale of 11.39 lakh tonnes which is 4 per cent higher than the corresponding period of the last year," the steel ministry said in a statement.116891653 The company's CMD Ajit Kumar Saxena exuded confidence that the company will maintain the growth momentum. "The PSU has also registered growth in its exploratory core drilling which stands at 72,340 metres, which is 19 per cent higher than the corresponding period of last year," the statement said. At present, MOIL operates its underground and opencast mines located in Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. The company produces and sells different grades of manganese ore.