The Provincial Management Implementing Units (PPMIUs) may now proceed to develop their respective commodity investment plans incorporating various and specific interventions for the improvement of purple yam or ube production and marketing in the region.

This was announced by Dr. Lorenzo M. Caranguian, OIC Regional Executive Director and PRDP Project Director for CAR after receiving a no objection notice from the National Project Coordinating Office approving the   value chain analysis of purple yam or ube in CAR.

“The PPMIUs of ube producing provinces may now proceed with the development of their Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIPs),” Dr. Caranguian said “but the plans must also support the regional Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Plan,” he added.

Purple yam or ube/ubi was identified as one of the top five priority commodities for value chain analysis that will be funded by PRDP.  It may be considered as a minor commodity in the Cordillera Region, however, the VCA noted yam as having   high potential industrial food value as well as a promising commercial value both in the domestic and export market.

Benguet Province was identified as the highest producer of this commodity.  Accordingly, majority of the farmers are smallholders who cultivate less than 1,000 square meters of lands in rural areas. Ube is produced more for home consumption than for marketing due to underdeveloped farm to market roads.

“This is good news for our struggling ube producers in the Region,” Dir. Caranguian, enthused. “The Department of Agriculture has identified ube as one of the high value commercial crop in CAR and tagged as one of the country’s five major rootcrops with export potential. It is high time that ube production and marketing (in CAR) be explored and improved through the PRDP,” he added.

Geared towards inclusive growth, the PRDP wants to see an outcome that shall improve the incomes of subsistence farmers through increased productivity, production and value of inputs, reduced production costs, improved market accessibility, diversified livelihood and enterprise options. (Mabel Zabala, DA-PRD RPCO-CAR InfoACE Unit)