A $34.1-million grant from the United States will help expand Philippine ube production and connect growers to overseas markets, benefiting about 12,500 farmers over five years, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Sunday.
The assistance would help the industry meet growing global demand and raise farmers’ incomes, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. noted.
On Oct. 22, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton announced the grant, worth about P2.1 billion, under the US Department of Agriculture’s Food for Progress Program.
He cited ube’s importance as a raw material for food and beverage manufacturers in the US and other markets.
US-based nonprofit TechnoServe will lead the project and provide technical expertise to develop the ube industry. The initiative will be funded through proceeds from the sale of nearly 40,000 metric tons of American soybean meal.
The DA had earlier earmarked P300 million for the initial expansion of ube production, targeting a doubling of the areas planted to the crop. The first phase is part of a broader plan to add 1,000 hectares in the first year.
The department is budgeting about P850,000 per hectare for farm development, support facilities and production. The initial rollout is timed for the coming November harvest and propagation cycle, with 10 ube varieties identified for large-scale cultivation.
Tiu Laurel said the government would expand the industry gradually to avoid the supply imbalances and production problems that affected other high-value crops following sudden increases in overseas demand.
Philippine ube production reached 1,681.67 metric tons in the second quarter this year, up 22.5 percent from 1,372.91 metric tons a year earlier, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
