Purple reign: Philippines seeks to keep grip on ube throne

The Philippine ube, a bright purple yam, has become a global sensation, attracting millions of social media views and drawing crowds to coffee shops and bakeries from Los Angeles to London and Seoul.
However, meeting rising international demand has proved challenging for the Philippines’ predominantly smallholder farmers, as declining yields, limited resources and a nine-month growing period constrain production. Fears of biopiracy have also prompted the government to ban exports of raw ube to protect local varieties.
Farmer-exporter Al Bonifacio, 59, supports measures to safeguard the crop, warning that overseas growers could capitalise on the trend if the Philippines cannot meet demand.

“ Our greatest fear is, if we are not able to supply ube to the world, someone (else) will step in,” he told AFP.
Ube is sold as powder, extract, paste and frozen puree, and is used in coffee, pastries, ice cream and even cosmetics. In Japan, importer JP Mercado said demand had grown rapidly after the trend gained popularity in South Korea, with social media helping introduce the ingredient to cafes and luxury hotels.
Rooted in history
Ube has been part of Philippine food culture for thousands of years, traditionally eaten boiled or used in desserts. Its popularity surged domestically during the Covid-19 pandemic, when purple bread became a major trend.
Manila baker Diane Bustos said her company now sells seven varieties of ube cookies, adding that its popularity had overtaken matcha in some circles.

Despite the boom, farmers face difficulties accessing quality planting materials, financing, storage facilities and processing equipment. Bonifacio has had to source raw ube from across the country to fulfil export orders, sometimes doubling his costs.
Agriculturist Leonilyn Ladao said the availability of quality planting materials remained a challenge.
Protecting the industry
Production fell to 12,483 tonnes last year, a five-year low, according to Jose Zalde Samson of the country’s plant industry bureau. Officials attributed the decline partly to typhoons affecting key growing regions, although production rose around 17 percent in the first half of 2026.
The government is exploring ways to shorten the growing season to six months and increase supply.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the raw export ban aims to prevent other countries from using Philippine ube varieties to compete with local producers.
Mercado welcomed the move, describing ube as closely tied to Filipino identity.
“We have a stake in this. We have to protect it,” Bonifacio said. -AFP