HOW COULD WE CAPTURE THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR UBE PRODUCTS?

HOW COULD WE CAPTURE THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR UBE PRODUCTS?

For many years, the Philippines has been recognized as the home of ube, the purple yam that has become a global sensation in ice cream, pastries, beverages, confectioneries, and other food products. The world associates ube with Filipino culture and cuisine. Yet today, a serious question confronts us: will we remain the undisputed leader in the global ube market, or will we once again lose our advantage to a more aggressive competitor?

We have seen this story before. We once dominated products such as coconut oil and cane sugar, only to see other countries capture larger shares of the global market. Now, according to Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President Bryan Ang, Vietnam is rapidly increasing its purple yam production and positioning itself to challenge our leadership.

The warning should not be taken lightly.

The global market does not reward tradition alone. It rewards volume, consistency, quality, branding, and efficient supply chains. Consumers may know ube as Filipino, but international buyers will purchase from whoever can reliably deliver large quantities at competitive prices.

In my view, this is no longer merely an agricultural issue. It is a national economic challenge that requires the combined efforts of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Science and Technology, local governments, cooperatives, universities, and the private sector.

The DA is correct in proposing a significant increase in research and development funding for ube. Better planting materials, disease-resistant varieties, and improved propagation techniques are urgently needed. Research institutions such as the University of the Philippines Los Baños and the Visayas State University can play major roles in this effort.

However, research alone is not enough.

We need to organize our farmers into stronger cooperatives and connect them directly with processors and exporters. Small, fragmented farms cannot meet the demands of global buyers. Through cooperative consolidation, farmers can achieve economies of scale and negotiate better prices.

We should also move beyond exporting raw tubers. The real money is in high-value products such as ube powder, puree, extracts, fillings, flavorings, and other industrial ingredients used by multinational food companies. Every kilogram processed locally creates more jobs and generates more income for Filipinos.

I would even go a step further. The government should consider providing strategic grants or incentives to established Filipino companies that already possess strong manufacturing, distribution, and marketing capabilities. Companies such as San Miguel Corporation, RFM Corporation, JG Summit Holdings, Jollibee Foods Corporation, NutriAsia, and Alliance Global Group already have experience in both production and marketing. Why not harness their strengths to help bring Philippine ube products to every major market in the world?

Another important step is protecting the identity of the Philippine purple yam through Geographical Indication (GI) certifications, similar to how France protects Champagne and Italy protects Parmigiano Reggiano. If consumers are willing to pay premium prices for products linked to a specific place of origin, then authentic Philippine ube should enjoy the same protection and prestige.

The battle for the global ube market has already begun. Vietnam is moving fast. The question is whether we are moving fast enough.

If we act decisively, ube can become a multi-billion-peso export industry that benefits farmers, processors, exporters, and rural communities. If we fail, we may once again watch another country profit from a product that the world originally knew as distinctly Filipino.

The choice is ours.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com  09088877282/07-12-2027

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