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FOR THE LONGEST time, ube (purple yam) has been grown mostly in the backyards with no support from the government.
But after ube gained popularity among restaurants offering the purple yam as desert — or made part as an ingredient in trendy cuisines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) suddenly got interested in helping farmers grow crops that have already become trendy.
For one, the DA doesn’t find root crops like ube and camote (sweet potatoes) worth supporting as it grows anywhere — in the backyards, slopes and even in pots. It has long been considered as no more than hunger pangs (pantawid-gutom in the vernacular).
During calamities like drought and floods, ube and camote crops save farmers from starvation. It has also become an alternative staple food for the poor who could no longer afford the high cost of rice in the market.
HIGH-VALUE CROP
As of late, ube has become fashionable, much talked-about and trending virally, catching the attention of the agriculture department.
In an announcement, the DA publicized the distribution of P2.6 million worth of ube planting materials to farmers of Leyte and Bohol so that come harvest, they could partake of the expected export windfall from ube.
The DA, in a statement, said the planting materials were given to 900 farmers in key ube-growing areas like Bohol (particularly the towns of Dagohoy, San Isidro, Lila, Cortes and Albuquerque) and in Leyte (in the towns of Abuyog, Tacloban, Baybay, Bato, Maasin, Ormoc, Carigara, Mayorga, Palompon, Naval, Mahaplag, Kananga, Burauen, Calubian, and Inopacan.
The move stemmed from the pronouncement of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that ube has emerged as the country’s new export star.
GLOBAL DEMAND
Global demand for ube is peaking way beyond supply, said the DTI and this is because of its mainstream adoption by international food chains like Starbucks and Costa Coffee, which rolled out ube-infused vanilla beverages across North America and Europe, cementing its status in mainstream cafes.
Ube is making waves because of its striking, highly photogenic color, which drives viral social media trends, combined with its unique, subtly sweet, and nutty flavor. Its rise mirrors the culinary tourism boom, where global consumers actively seek out vibrant, culturally authentic ingredients from home.
The vibrant, naturally bright-violet hue of ube makes it incredibly “Instagrammable.” It has become a visual centerpiece for desserts and pastries, ranging from doughnuts and tarts to the famous ube tsunami cheesecakes.
BEYOND LOOKS
Beyond its looks, consumers and international chefs are drawn to its complex flavor profile—often described as an earthy, nutty, and mildly sweet taste that pairs exceptionally well with dairy, coffee, and coconut.
Because its vibrant violet color comes naturally from anthocyanins (antioxidants), the tuber has earned a reputation for being a healthier, antioxidant-rich alternative in the pastry world.
As the culinary world dives deeper into Filipino food culture, ube has emerged as one of the most recognizable and accessible ambassador ingredients of the cuisine.
This soaring popularity has significantly boosted export numbers. However, it has also caused severe supply chain challenges, with the Philippines (the leading producer of dessert-grade ube) experiencing production shortages due to climate shifts and fragmented farming systems, said Asia News Network.
RIDING UBE FAD
The DA said it has distributed over 60,000 ube planting materials to farmers in the Visayas, making the first time the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has undertaken a large-scale ube planting material distribution program.
Ube’s global fame as a dessert item is in ice creams, pastries, beverages and other food products sold in North America, Europe and parts of Asia.
Increasing production is becoming more urgent as domestic supply has declined over the years despite rising international interest in the crop, the DA said.
The Philippine Statistics Authority noted that the Philippines exported about 1.7 million kilograms of ube worth $3.2 million in 2025, reflecting a roughly 20-percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, Bohol remains the country’s largest producer of ube.
FUNDING BOOST
Of late, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chair of the Senate agriculture committee, said he is looking to boost the funding for local ube production under the 2027 budget, reported Business Mirror.
In a panel interview in Naga City recently, Pangilinan vowed to provide more support for the production of ube, a naturally sweet, starchy vegetable grown by Filipino farmers.
“So, now what we’re doing is we’re preparing for the next budget cycle and looking into how we can provide additional funding for the high-value crops program but also focus this time on ube,” Pangilinan said.
He said the DA’s high-value crop (HVC) program provides essential support to localized farming sectors. Under the 2026 budget, the HVC program allocated initially P500 million for cacao and coffee.
EMPOWERING DA
Panglinan promised to focus on boosting the budgets of the DA and its attached agencies to “provide them the necessary tools to empower farmers and fisherfolk, strengthen the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and address current and looming challenges in the country’s food security.”
BPI Director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban said the funding allocation for ube production is intended to help farmers benefit from its “growing global popularity.”
“As ube gains worldwide recognition, we must ensure Filipino farmers are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities it creates,” Panganiban said.
The BPI said funding for ube production is part of an initiative to identify agricultural products with strong export potential that can generate higher incomes for farmers while helping narrow the country’s agricultural trade deficit.
The DA foresees several challenges in ube production such as limited access to resources, pests and diseases, lack of mechanization, and predominance of small-scale farming systems, according to a research done by the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center, an institution integrated into the Visayas State University.