March 18 (Reuters) - Australian coal miner New Hope Corporation NHC.AX posted a 35% rise in first-half profit on Tuesday, helped by higher production and effective cost-control measures.

For the half year ended January 31, the miner reported a net profit after tax of A$340.3 million ($217.15 million), up from A$251.7 million reported a year ago. That beat a Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$302.2 million.

The company also announced a share buy-back program of A$100 million.

($1 = 1.5672 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Kumar Tanishk and Aaditya Govind Rao in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

((Tanishk.Kumar@thomsonreuters.com; X: @thatstanishk))