HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean miner RioZim plans to ramp up gold production to 80 kg a month from the current 60 kg a month at its Renco mine by the end of the year, the company's managing director said on Tuesday 13 October.

RioZim, previously owned by Rio Tinto, operates Renco gold mine in southern Zimbabwe and is a 22 percent shareholder in the country's largest diamond miner, Murowa, in which Rio Tinto has 78 percent shares.

The company's managing director Josphat Sachikonye said exploration at Cam and Motor was encouraging, and plans to start an open pit gold mine were promising.

"Renco mine should be producing 80 kg of gold per month by the end of the year," Sachikonye said in a written response to questions from Reuters.

"The results of exploration work undertaken to date (at Cam and Motor) are very encouraging."

Total gold production at Renco in 2008 was 456 kg but Sachikonye did not give target output for this year.