Philippine ube has export potential, but supply gaps limit growth

The Philippines has a strong export opportunity in ube, or purple yam, as global food companies use the crop more widely in desserts, beverages, snacks and natural food coloring. But the country’s supply chain is still too fragmented to fully benefit from this demand, according to a new USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN report.

Production falls while demand grows

Ube production in the Philippines fell to 12,483 metric tons in 2025, down 6.7% from 13,382 metric tons in 2024. Compared with 14,151 metric tons in 2021, output was down almost 12%. The decline comes at a time when demand is moving in the opposite direction.

Exports more than double

Exports of ube and ube-based products reached USD 3.06 million in 2025, more than double the USD 1.4 million recorded in 2024. The strongest demand is coming from processed and export-ready products such as ube powder, purée, halaya, extracts, syrups and frozen forms.

The United States is one of the key markets. USDA-FAS Manila said U.S. food manufacturers are increasingly sourcing ube-derived ingredients, especially purée and powder, for packaged snacks, beverages and natural coloring applications. The United Kingdom, Italy and Middle Eastern markets are also among important destinations.

Ube enters mainstream food channels

Fresh, chilled, frozen and dried ube accounted for more than 60% of export value in 2025, while the United States absorbed about 45% of shipments. This shows that demand is not limited to traditional Filipino food stores. Ube is now entering mainstream bakery, café, dairy, snack and beverage channels.

The crop’s appeal is clear: it offers a strong purple color, mild sweetness and a flavor often used in cakes, pastries, ice cream, lattes, cookies and ready-to-eat desserts. A Mintel database cited by Philippine trade sources recorded 359 product launches worldwide featuring ube, with Japan, China and the United States among key innovation markets.

Weak supply chain holds back growth

However, USDA-FAS said the main barrier is not demand, but the weak structure of production and processing. The report pointed to limited access to quality planting materials, weak nursery systems, small and scattered farm production, high transport costs, limited post-harvest facilities and insufficient processing capacity.

Post-harvest losses are another issue. Many producing areas lack enough sorting, curing and drying infrastructure. This reduces quality and makes it harder for processors to secure stable volumes for export-grade products.

Farmers also remain heavily dependent on intermediaries. This limits price transparency and reduces farmgate prices. At the same time, many cooperatives and processors struggle to access formal finance because of weak documentation, limited collateral and low financial literacy.

Output remains regionally concentrated

Production is concentrated in a few regions. Central Visayas accounted for 33% of Philippine ube output in 2025, followed by Calabarzon with 13%, Cagayan Valley with 12% and Northern Mindanao with 9%.

The report also noted that the country has not yet fully developed formal standards and geographical traceability for ube. This is important as buyers in higher-value markets increasingly require consistency, food safety documentation, origin verification and reliable supply.

Investment could unlock export value

USDA-FAS said targeted investment could help close these gaps. Priority areas include nursery development, better farm practices, post-harvest and processing facilities, direct farmer-to-processor links, cooperative financing, standards and traceability systems.

If these problems are addressed, ube could move from a popular specialty crop into a stronger value-added export category. For growers, this would mean better farm incomes. For processors and exporters, it would open space for higher-value products instead of relying mainly on raw or semi-processed supply.

For now, the market signal is strong but the supply base remains underdeveloped. The Philippines has the origin story, the crop knowledge and the demand. The next step is building a more reliable value chain that can turn the global ube trend into long-term export growth.

Read the full report here.

source: fas.usda.gov

graphics: fas.usda.gov, openstat.psa.gov.ph