Philippines suspends fresh ube exports

The Philippines has indefinitely suspended exports of fresh purple yam, or ube, as the government tries to preserve scarce planting material and increase domestic production, according to the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines.

The restriction applies both to fresh ube and to propagative planting material, whether a shipment is intended for consumption, planting or research. Plant quarantine stations have consequently been instructed not to issue phytosanitary certificates for affected consignments.

Demand, meanwhile, continues to grow for both fresh ube and products such as powder, halaya, jam and paste. The Department of Agriculture says Philippine products are already being sold in Canada, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

The government is now concentrating on the supply side. A PHP300 million budget (around $4,768,728.00) has been approved for the ube industry for 2027, while authorities are pursuing tissue culture, community nurseries and mini-set propagation to increase the availability of planting material. Philippine ube varieties are also being genetically mapped for registration.

source and photo: da.gov.ph