The Department of Agriculture (DA) has indefinitely suspended exports of fresh purple yam, or ube, to shore up scarce planting material as the Philippines seeks to expand domestic production and turn the crop into a bigger export earner.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) imposed the suspension in mid-August, covering fresh ube and propagative planting materials whether shipments are intended for consumption, planting, or research.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the restriction is meant to keep planting material in the country while the industry builds production capacity.
“We severely lack planting material ourselves, and we don’t want to export it to countries that could use Philippine ube varieties to compete with us,” Tiu Laurel said.
The move highlights a supply squeeze facing an industry whose popularity is growing faster than its ability to produce. Philippine ube is increasingly sought by processors and overseas buyers, but farmers still face limited access to quality planting materials needed to expand output.
Demand is rising for fresh ube and processed products such as powder, halaya, jam, and paste. Philippine products are already reaching Canada, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, while the United States, South Korea, and Europe offer further markets.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved a P300 million budget for the ube industry in 2027, as the DA moved to strengthen production and organize the sector.
The DA, through the BPI and researchers at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, is also genetically mapping Philippine ube varieties for registration. The work is intended to protect native varieties from biopiracy, establish crop authenticity in export markets, and support the development of higher-yielding and more resilient varieties.
BPI director Glenn Panganiban said he had earlier written the Bureau of Customs to inform the agency of the export suspension as an interim safeguard while the government works on policy and regulatory changes to formally place fresh purple yam among commodities subject to export restrictions.
He said plant quarantine stations have been ordered to stop issuing phytosanitary certificates for affected ube shipments.
The DA is also pursuing tissue culture, community-based nurseries, and mini-set propagation to increase the supply of quality planting materials.
The government and industry have formed United Ube PH Association Inc., bringing together farmers, processors, traders, exporters, researchers, and other stakeholders.
The strategy now is to build the planting-material base and domestic supply before pushing exports further.
The Philippines wants to sell more ube abroad. First, it needs enough ube to sell.
