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Can Ube Become the Next Matcha? Philippines Races to Capitalize on Global Boom Before Bubble Bursts

Global demand for ube, a purple yam traditional to Filipino cuisine, has surged on social media since 2025, doubling export volumes and values to nearly 2 million dollars and driving domestic prices up sharply. The Philippine government has imposed an export ban on fresh, unprocessed ube tubers through June 2028 to prevent seed-potato smuggling to competing countries like Thailand and Vietnam, while launching a plan to quadruple cultivation area by 2028 with 300 million pesos…

Asahi Shimbun Digital — Tea / Matcha · 2026-10-20

SNSで爆発人気「ウベ」はポスト抹茶になれるか？ナタデココの教訓とフィリピンの挑戦 - 朝日新聞GLOBE＋

Can Ube Become the Next Matcha? Philippines Races to Capitalize on Global Boom Before Bubble Bursts — Photograph: Asahi Shimbun Digital — Tea / Matcha

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Key points

Ube exports (including processed goods) reached 306 million dollars in 2025, double the prior year; fresh tuber exports…
Philippine government banned export of fresh, unprocessed ube tubers through June 2028 to prevent seed loss to Thailand…
Planned ube cultivation expansion: 1,000 hectares added in 2027 (at cost of 300 million pesos), doubling current area; t…
Domestic ube production fell 6.7% in 2025 to 12,483 tons (lowest in decade) due to typhoon damage; prices in Metro Manil…
Government researching methods to reduce harvest cycle from 9 months to 6 months and beginning genetic analysis of nativ…

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The numbers

Ube export value (including processed goods): 306万米ドル Fresh ube export value: 約187万米ドル Fresh ube export volume: ~980 tonnes Ube export to United States: 83.2万米ドル

What they said