UBE (purple yam) stakeholders are forming their own association and having it registered this month, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director Glenn Panganiban said in a statement.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) met with stakeholders to discuss the industry’s way forward, with the creation of a group emerging as a point of discussion.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. wants the stakeholders to lead the effort, with the DA playing a supporting role, Panganiban said, adding that the association would help unify the industry’s direction, which needs clear standards, science, and guidance amid rising global demand for ube.
The DA wants to avoid a repeat of what happened to products like nata de coco and other export commodities that started strong but declined once substandard products entered the market, Panganiban noted.
He credited Tiu Laurel’s business background for shaping the industry’s approach. “Because he seeks answers to: What does the market need? What do the stakeholders need?” Panganiban said, contrasting it with how the agency used to handle commodity demand.
“Before we were like, ‘Oh, there’s an ube craze. Okay, let’s plant it,’” Panganiban said, adding that this approach proved misguided.
Having leaders with business experience — namely, Tiu Laurel and Philip Young, the undersecretary-designate for high-value export crops and agri-fishery export development and promotion — now guides the effort, Panganiban said.
Meantime, the DA is focused on identifying market needs, existing ube varieties, and other varieties suited for planting.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) is considering crafting export standards for ube, with BPI among the agencies that may contribute.
If this pushes through, Panganiban added, the standards will be completed within the year.
