The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday welcomed more than PHP2 billion in funding support from its United States counterpart to develop the Philippine purple yam (ube) industry.

This follows the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) allocation of USD34.1 million to the Philippines for a five-year Food for Progress program to be implemented by international nonprofit organization TechnoServe.

In a Zoom interview, Agriculture spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa underscored the importance of the funding, particularly amid growing global demand for ube products.

“We are very happy na talagang tumugon sila sa request natin na magpondo sila, so malaking pondo ito (that they have responded to our request for funding; this is a huge budget),” he said.

In a separate statement, United States Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton said the award is seen to further strengthen the US-Philippines diplomatic and economic ties.

“The project will be implemented by TechnoServe and is expected to support approximately 12,500 Filipino ube farmers over the next five years,” he said.

Under the program, TechnoServe, in partnership with the DA, will advance capacity building, research and development for the ube value chain, and other activities to boost export potential and farmers’ profitability.

Major ube-producing areas like Cagayan, Pangasinan, Quezon, Bohol, and other parts of Mindanao will be prioritized for its implementation, de Mesa said.

He added that the timing of the grant is crucial considering increasing demands in the US, Europe, Japan, China, and South Korea, among others.

The details for program coverage and overall mechanism, however, are yet to be finalized.

In terms of its actual timeline, the DA is hoping for its rollout by the first semester of 2027. (PNA)