The government is turning to one of the Philippines’ most recognizable crops, ube (purple yam), to help narrow the country’s more than $10-billion agricultural trade deficit, as efforts intensify to expand the crops’ production and develop new export opportunities.

To support the initiative, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has distributed more than 60,000 ube planting materials to farmers in Leyte and Bohol, two of the country’s key purple yam-producing areas.

The project is being implemented with the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops) under the Department of Agriculture’s High Value Crops Development Program.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government is prioritizing agricultural products with strong international demand that can generate h igher incomes for farmers while contributing to export growth.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tasked us to develop more export winners that can raise farmers’ incomes and create greater value for the economy,” Tiu Laurel said. “With ube now enjoying global recognition, we see an opportunity to expand production, increase exports, and help reduce the country’s more than $10-billion annual agricultural trade deficit.”

The distribution program benefited 900 farmers organized into more than 60 groups across the Visayas.