The Department of Agriculture (DA) has allocated funding in its proposed 2027 budget to support the country's ube (purple yam) industry, aiming to capitalize on growing global demand.The DA plans to hold an industry consultation on July 23 to finalize programs, funding requirements, and governance frameworks for the sector.Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.emphasized an industry-led strategy to address challenges and secure a larger share of the global market.

Key initiatives include establishing a national ube federation to align producer, processor, and exporter goals, fast-tracking high-quality planting materials through tissue culture and propagation techniques, and setting up regional centers in Quezon, Laguna, Pangasinan, and Aurora.Research institutions are also developing high-yielding purple ube varieties, with efforts to expedite their evaluation and market alignment.

The DA also plans to implement standardized color grading using a Lovibond colorimeter, strengthen marketing efforts, and protect intellectual property rights for native Philippine ube.Laurel highlighted competition with ASEAN neighbors and stressed the need for standardized practices to enhance competitiveness.