Food exporters dig deep to capitalize on ube rush
As the Philippines rushes to capitalize on the surging global appetite for its iconic purple root crop, food processors are pushing to secure high-quality ube (purple yam) materials for processing and export.
The Philippines is capitalizing on the increasing global demand for its iconic purple root crop, ube. With rising interest in the tuber, food exporters and processors are seeking more ube raw materials to take advantage of the growing popularity in overseas markets. Philfoodex president Ruben See stated that a higher supply of ube is necessary to meet both local and international demand without causing price hikes.
The government has been working to boost domestic ube production through tissue culture, community-based nurseries, and other propagation techniques. Researchers from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) have identified 10 key ube varieties, including the Villasis 2 variety, which has improved yields. The DA is seeking to allocate about P93 million for root crop development and export promotion.
Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez has filed a bill, the Philippine Ube Industry Development Act, to declare ube a national priority crop, establish a Philippine Ube Industry Council, and strengthen research, production, processing, branding, and export promotion.
Written by urgent.news from Philippine Star Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
