Philippine ube, which has won global popularity on the back of a purple dessert boom, is showing signs of shortage at home. With even planting material running short, the Philippine government has moved to block exports of fresh ube.
Global Craze Leaves Philippine Farmers With Nothing to Plant
The Philippines recently banned overseas shipments of fresh ube, the Financial Times reported on the 22nd. Ube is a variety of purple yam that is propagated by replanting portions of existing tubers. That means fresh ube sent abroad can be used to grow Philippine varieties overseas.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the country itself faces a serious shortage of planting material, signaling his intent to prevent domestic varieties from spreading to competing countries abroad.
Output has not collapsed outright. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, ube production reached 5,660 tons in the first half of this year, up 17% from the same period a year earlier. Annual output last year, however, fell short of 12,500 tons, a clear decline from 13,400 tons in 2024.
Prices Double as Demand Explodes, but Farmers Lack Seed Stock
The problem is that the production base has not kept pace with global demand.
The Philippine government plans to expand exports again after first increasing seed stock and domestic supply. Laurel said ube's popularity is growing faster than production capacity, and outlined plans to build up the production base to develop the crop into a larger source of export revenue.
Farmgate prices for ube have also more than doubled in recent years, now ranging from 100 to 150 pesos per kilogram (about 2,186 to 3,273 won).
Most ube growers in the Philippines operate small plots. As overseas orders piled up recently, some farms quickly exhausted their holdings, leaving them short even of the material they need to replant in the next growing season.
The export ban applies only to fresh ube. Exports of processed and frozen ube products used in markets such as the United States and Europe remain permitted. Even so, there are concerns that a drop in fresh ube supply could push up prices for processing material as well.
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Ube is an indigenous crop long used in the Philippines in jams, breads and ice cream. It is known for a mild sweetness, a flavor reminiscent of nuts and vanilla, and an intense purple color.
Once consumed mainly in areas with large Filipino immigrant populations, ube gained wider recognition through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Cafes and bakeries in the U.S. and Britain now serve ube drinks and desserts, as do Michelin-starred restaurants. Starbucks and Costa Coffee both launched ube-based beverages this year.
Menu mentions of ube in the United States more than tripled between 2021 and 2025, according to market research firm Datassential. The U.S. is currently the largest consumer market for the crop.
The chances of further price increases from tight supply are also rising. Nigel Motley, who co-founded the Filipino cafe Kapihan in London in 2019, said the number of customers asking for ube items has risen sharply, and indicated that price increases would have to be accepted.
