GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/23 June) – Region 12’s economy took a dive last year as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) noted a decrease in export earning, fish production and tourist arrivals.
In a report, NEDA attributed the decline in export earnings to the decreasing production in tuna and pineapple, the top two key export performers of the region.NEDA regional director Teresita Socorro C. Ramos described the drop in the three economic sectors as “critical incidents” for the region.
NEDA, in its Regional Economic Situationer 2009 report, attributed the decline in export earnings to the decreasing production in tuna and pineapple, the region’s top two export performers.
The region’s export earnings last year amounted to $541.98 million, or 7.3 percent compared to the 2008 earnings of $584.90 million. The 2009 earnings came from canned tuna (38%), canned pineapple (29%), coconut oil (10%), fresh pineapple (8%) and pouched tuna about (7%).
The region’s exports went mostly the European Union, United States, Japan, Canada, Korea, China, Israel, Singapore, Australia and South Africa.
Except for Australia and China, deman
