THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has indefinitely suspended exports of fresh purple yam, or ube, as it seeks to address shortages of planting materials and build the country’s production capacity.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) imposed the suspension in mid-August, covering fresh ube and propagative planting materials intended for consumption, planting or research.
In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the restriction is meant to keep planting materials in the country while the industry builds its production base.
The government is seeking to develop the ube industry as demand grows for fresh and processed products such as powder, halaya, jam and paste. Philippine ube products are already reaching markets in Canada, the Middle East and parts of Asia, while the United States, South Korea and Europe offer further opportunities for expansion.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a P300-million budget for the ube industry in 2027, with the DA moving 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 initiative 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 the agency had informed the Bureau of Customs about 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.
Plant quarantine stations have also been ordered to stop issuing phytosanitary certificates for affected ube shipments.
The DA is pursuing tissue culture, community-based nurseries and mini-set propagation to increase the supply of quality planting materials.
The government and industry have also formed the United Ube PH Association, bringing together farmers, processors, traders, exporters, researchers and other stakeholders.
The strategy is to build the domestic planting-material base and production capacity before pursuing wider exports, allowing the Philippines to capture more value from the growing global demand for ube. / KOC