Philippine export ban on fresh ube threatens UK supplies amid rising demand

Ube, the purple yam long used in Filipino cuisine, has moved into mainstream UK menus and high-street coffee chains. Pret A Manger, Starbucks and Costa have all featured ube-flavoured drinks or limited editions, and independent Filipino restaurants report growing customer demand for ube ice cream, pastries and drinks.

The Philippine government halted exports of fresh ube after officials and growers raised alarms about shortages of planting material and the risk that foreign growers might adopt Philippine varieties and compete in export markets. Agriculture secretary Francisco P Tiu Laurel Jr said the country "severely lack[s] planting material ourselves" and wants to expand domestic production before developing ube as a larger export earner.

Immediate effects for UK businesses

The ban covers fresh tubers only. Processed and frozen ube — the forms most commonly used by manufacturers and food outlets in the US and Europe — are still permitted for sale. Still, restaurateurs and suppliers in the UK are already reporting supply difficulties for fresh ube and some price increases.

Omar Shah, owner of London's Mama & Sons and other Filipino eateries, says he is struggling to source ube currently, although he has stock sufficient to last about a year. He warns that continued price rises could push ube into a luxury-category ingredient for some menus.

A position paper by food scholar Guillermo "Ige" Ramos notes that when global demand surged, farmers shipped raw tubers overseas to meet lucrative orders, which depleted the planting stock needed for the next agricultural cycle. The government's policy aims to secure genetic continuity of this ancestral root crop and to prioritise expanding domestic production before scaling exports.

Production data and supply dynamics

Philippine ube production increased by 17% in the first half of 2026 to 5,660 tonnes, according to the national statistics authority. Officials nevertheless say industry growth has outpaced the capacity to produce planting material, creating a short-term mismatch between demand and the inputs needed for future harvests.

Alternatives and industry responses

Chefs and food analysts suggest that if fresh ube supplies tighten further, brands and restaurants will turn to processed ube or other Southeast Asian ingredients. WGSN Food & Drink's content director Jennifer Creevy points to pandan and calamansi as achievable alternatives that provide distinctive flavour and colour profiles. Shah also highlights calamansi as a versatile Philippine ingredient useful in sorbets and pastries.

• Whether the Philippines sets a clear timeline or conditions for lifting the fresh ube export ban.
• How quickly processed and frozen supply chains can scale to fill gaps in markets that previously relied on fresh tubers.
• Price movements in wholesale ube products and substitution rates by UK cafes and manufacturers.

The export ban on fresh ube is aimed at protecting planting stock and Philippine varietal control, but it creates short-term supply pressures for UK businesses that have come to rely on the purple yam's rising popularity. Processed forms remain available, and operators are evaluating alternatives and inventory strategies to manage potential price and supply volatility.