As demand for ghe crop continues to grow locally and abroad.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), in partnership with the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), is pursuing the government’s goal of expanding the ube (purple yam) industry in the Philippines.
This, as it distrubuted over 60,000 planting materials to farmers in Leyte and Bohol as part of the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), which aims to increase production of the root crop and improve farmers’ incomes.
According to the DA’s press statement, the teams from both agencies conducted field monitoring and validation activities last June 15 to 17 to assess how the distributed planting materials are being utilized and to gather feedback from farmer-beneficiaries.
The distributed planting materials, valued at nearly P2.6 million, mark the first time BPI has undertaken a large-scale ube planting material distribution program, with 900 farmers, who are organized into more than 60 farmer groups across key ube-producing areas in the Visayas, included.
Beneficiaries in Bohol are said to be located in the towns of Dagohoy, San Isidro, Lila, Cortes and Albuquerque, as well as across Abuyog, Tacloban, Baybay, Bato, Maasin, Ormoc, Carigara, Mayorga, Palompon, Naval, Mahaplag, Kananga, Burauen, Calubian and Inopacan in Leyte.
Notably, this comes as ube, which is staple ingredient in Filipino cuisine and desserts, enjoys rising popularity overseas.
Ube-flavored products ranging from ice cream and pastries to beverages have gained a following in North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia, creating new market opportunities for Philippine growers and food processors.
However, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the country saw a more than 50 percent decline in 14 years in terms of ube production, as it only yielded 14,000 metric tons in 2020 compared to 30,074 metric tons in 2006 — making the distribution of planting materials even more crucial.
“As ube gains worldwide recognition, we must ensure Filipino farmers are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities it creates,” BPI Director Glenn Panganiban said. “This initiative helps provide the foundation for increased production, higher incomes, and a stronger domestic ube industry.”
Beyond distributing planting materials, the agency said it continues to provide technical support and capacity-building activities to help farmers improve yields and tap emerging market opportunities.
For his part, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government is actively identifying agricultural products with strong export potential that can generate higher incomes for farmers while helping narrow the country’s agricultural trade gap.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tasked us to develop more export winners that can raise farmers’ incomes and create greater value for the economy. With ube now enjoying global recognition, we see an opportunity to expand production, increase exports, and help reduce the country’s more than USD10-billion annual agricultural trade deficit,” Tiu Laurel noted.
LONG-TERM DIRECTION FOR THE INDUSTRY
Meanwhile, in line with the booming demand on ube products, the Philippine government is looking to impose a structured and long-term direction on the ube industry, with agriculture and trade officials pushing for tighter coordination, standardization, and export-ready systems to harness surging global demand for the once-humble purple yam.
During a recent consultative meeting by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry–Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) in Quezon City, 249 stakeholders from across the value chain were gathered.
The discussion focused on the increasingly high-profile commodity and while the demand is accelerating, supply systems and coordination remain uneven.
“Demand is booming but supply and structure are struggling to keep up,” stressed Agriculture Undersecretary Philip Young, leader of ghe High Value Export Crops program.
He added, “Ube is no longer just a pantry staple or dessert flavor but an export product that needs rules, scale, and a proper growth playbook.”
A Steering Committee and Technical Working Group (TWG) has been proposed to serve as the industry’s coordinating backbone, which would primarily set the rules and shape the system.
The TWG is also expected to align phytosanitary and technical standards across agencies, addressing long-standing regulatory fragmentation that has constrained agricultural exports.
Moreover, it shall be composed of Private Stakeholders jointly with various DA Offices and attached agencies and other non-DA agencies and offices.
According to the DA, the group’s mandate will include defining the official scope of ube, standardizing raw and processed products, and harmonizing quality requirements across agencies and exporters — all to eliminate inconsistencies that slow shipments, weaken competitiveness, and discourage large-scale investment.
According to industry data, current production levels, which hovers around 50 to 60 metric tons per operator, could scale up to as much as 500 metric tons with improved supply coordination and expanded raw material access.
Exporters, meanwhile, reported persistent shortages of raw ube even as global appetite continues to rise for powder, halaya, jam, paste, and other value-added products especially in key markets such as Canada, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, with the United States, South Korea, and Europe hailed by the Agriculture department as “next-wave growth destinations.”
Private sector players have also expressed willingness to expand plantations and invest in capacity once standards, rules, and supply systems become more predictable.
Secretary Tiu Laurel Jr. also emphasized the broader economic stakes of the initiative, linking ube’s development to the country’s wider export strategy.
He said, “We need to develop more agricultural export winners that can raise farmers’ incomes and help reduce our farm trade deficit, which exceeds USD10 billion annually.”
This reflects the shift to export-driven agriculture, where select high-value commodities are developed into globally competitive industries rather than remaining fragmented domestic supply chains — which follows the successes in mango and cacao.