UPDATE 1-Buenaventura 3rd-qtr net profit up 19 pct

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Peru's largest precious metals miner Buenaventura posted third-quarter net income of $208 million on Friday, up 19 percent from a year ago due to higher metals prices and greater sales volume.

Buenaventura controls 43.7 percent of the Yanacocha gold pit. It also owns 18.7 percent of the copper mine Cerro Verde , where union members have been on strike for a month though operations have continued.

Gold production without counting Buenaventura's stake in Yanacocha fell 9 percent to 107,157 ounces in the third quarter and dropped 6 percent to 256,887 ounces including Yanacocha.

Buenaventura's stock closed up 0.02 percent at $42.87 before its results were announced.