Global ube demand strains Philippine supply
Annual ube production has slipped from over 15,000 tons in 2021 to about 14,000 tons over the past two years, even as exports have quadrupled to more than 200 tons annually. More than half of those exports are shipped to the United States. To meet domestic demand, the Philippines has even begun importing ube from Vietnam, an unusual move for a country long considered the crop’s primary source.
The world’s growing appetite for ube, the Philippine purple yam, is turning a once-local crop into a global commodity, but the surge in demand is exposing cracks in the country’s agricultural supply chain.
From purple-glazed doughnuts in New York to pastel-colored lattes in Paris and Melbourne, ube has become a viral food trend, prized for its vivid color and mild, nutty flavor. The Philippines remains the world’s top producer, growing more than 14,000 tons annually, yet farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up as exports rise and harvests shrink.
Feeding an international market
In Benguet, one of the country’s major ube-producing areas, small-scale farmers like Teresita Emilio carefully extract the tuber from the soil, knowing each piece now carries far more value than it once did. What used to be grown mainly for local sweets such as jams and ice cream is now feeding an international market.
According to the Department of Agriculture, annual ube production has slipped from more than 15,000 tons in 2021 to about 14,000 tons over the past two years, even as exports have quadrupled to more than 200 tons annually. More than half of those exports are shipped to the United States. To meet domestic demand, the Philippines has even begun importing ube from Vietnam, an unusual move for a country long considered the crop’s primary source.
Agriculture officials say climate change, limited planting material, and the dominance of small, seasonal farms are constraining output. Cheryl Natividad-Caballero, undersecretary for high-value crops, said global demand is now outpacing supply, forcing the government to rethink production systems.
Difficult trade-off
Farmers face a difficult trade-off. Higher prices have encouraged them to sell nearly all of their harvests, leaving little ube behind to be cut and replanted for the next season. Growing ube from seed is possible, but slow and unreliable, further tightening future supply.
As other countries, including China and Vietnam, expand their own purple yam production, Philippine growers risk losing their dominance unless investment in propagation, climate resilience, and farmer support accelerates.
What was once abundant enough to be discarded is now a high-value export, and a test of whether Philippine agriculture can scale up before the global craze moves on.