Philippines’ raw ube export ban may last at least a year
The restriction covers purple yam usable as planting material, while the agriculture department seeks ₱300 million to expand production.
The Philippines may keep its restriction on raw ube exports in place for at least a year, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told GMA News Online. The Department of Agriculture is still assessing how long the suspension is needed as it considers requirements for expanding production.
Announced in September without a fixed end date, the ban applies to ube that can serve as planting material. The department introduced the measure to help raise domestic output of the purple yam.
The department previously said it was seeking ₱300 million to add 1,000 hectares of ube cultivation. That expansion is intended to help supply the crop’s surging global demand.
Bohol, known as the Philippines’ ube capital, is among the areas where the crop is widely grown, alongside Benguet, Batangas and Quezon. Philippine varieties include Ubi Kinampay from Bohol and Leyte Ubi, which are considered uniquely Filipino.
