Australia has topped China as the world’s largest gold producer after gold production in the first half of 2021 has surpassed the Asian nation’s for the first time. According to a report published on Aug. 29 by Surbiton Associates, a Melbourne consulting group that specializes in the Australian gold, mining, and minerals industries, Australia produced 157 tonnes of gold to June 30, with 74 tonnes in the March quarter and 83 tonnes in the June quarter. The figure is four tonnes more than China’s 153 tonnes, marking an end to the latter’s 14-year record of being the largest gold producer in the world. China has been the world’s top gold producer since 2007, when it overtook South Africa, according to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS), which estimated Chinese output at 380 tonnes last year. Australia has been in second place for over a decade, while South African production has fallen …