PH to impose structure, long-term direction on ube industry amid high demand, DA says

The Philippine government will impose structure and long-term direction on the ube industry amid a high global demand for the root crop, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday.

This came after agriculture and trade officials pushed for tighter coordination, standardization, and export-ready systems to respond to the rising demand globally for the ube or purple yam.

The DA and the Department of Trade and Industry–Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) recently held a consultative meeting in Quezon City with 249 stakeholders from farmers, processors, exporters, traders, and cooperatives.

During the said meeting, government officials and stakeholders noted that demand for ube is accelerating but supply systems and coordination remain uneven.

"Demand is booming but supply and structure are struggling to keep up," DA Undersecretary Philip Young said. Young leads the High Value Export Crops program.

“Ube is no longer just a pantry staple or dessert flavor but an export product that needs rules, scale, and a proper growth playbook,” Young said.

Among the measures discussed was a proposal to establish a steering committee and technical working group (TWG) that would serve as the coordinating backbone of the ube industry, setting the rules while also shaping the system. The TWG would be comprised of private stakeholders, DA offices and attached agencies, as well as other non-DA agencies and offices, the Agriculture Department said.

This group would define the official scope of ube, standardize raw and processed products, and harmonize quality requirements across agencies and exporters.

"The goal is to eliminate inconsistencies that often slow shipments, weaken competitiveness, and discourage large-scale investment," the DA said.

Industry data show that "current production levels of 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," it added.

Exporters raised concerns about the persistent shortages of raw ube, as demand rises after the root crop became a global food trend. They said global appetite has grown for ube powder, halaya, jam, paste, and other value-added products.

Key markets for the Philippine ube are Canada, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, while the United States, South Korea, and Europe are becoming next-wave growth destinations.

"Private sector players have signaled willingness to expand plantations and invest in capacity, but only if standards, rules, and supply systems become more predictable," the DA said.

"The TWG is also expected to align phytosanitary and technical standards across agencies, addressing long-standing regulatory fragmentation that has constrained agricultural exports," it added.

"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," DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said.

The mango and cacao industries also previously underwent structured coordination, clear standards, and stronger private sector alignment that helped unlock export growth, the DA said.

"If implemented effectively, the ube roadmap could mark a turning point, elevating the crop from viral dessert staple to a fully structured export industry. If not, global demand may continue its upward climb while supply remains perpetually a step behind," it said. —KG, GMA News