Overview
- Official data show annual ube output has slipped to about 14,000 tons from more than 15,000 tons in 2021, even as demand accelerates.
- Exports have quadrupled to over 200 tons a year with more than half going to the United States, and the Philippines has at times imported ube from Vietnam to cover gaps.
- Growers report a shortage of planting material because higher prices push farmers to sell most of their harvests rather than reserve cuttings for replanting.
- Erratic rains and stronger typhoons, including two that struck in November at the start of harvest, have caused rot and leaf damage that reduce yields.
- The Department of Agriculture says Congress cut its ube budget by about 10% to 10 million pesos for 2026, with the limited funds earmarked for producing and distributing planting material.