USDA Provides $34.1 Million to Boost Philippine Ube Production

The United States Department of Agriculture is providing US$34.1 million to support the development of purple yam, known as ube, in the Philippines. The five-year project, funded by the sale of nearly 40,000 metric tons of US soybean meal, aims to support 12,500 Filipino farmers.

TechnoServe, a non-profit organization, will implement the initiative as the Philippines struggles to meet surging global demand for the crop. The Philippine government seeks to increase production capacity to transform ube into a larger export earner. To protect scarce planting stock from competition from China and Vietnam, the Philippine government recently suspended exports of fresh purple yam.

The US embassy in Manila stated the project is intended to further boost the economic partnership between the two military allies.