Ube Buyer in Palawan

The Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 125 tonnes of ube produced in Palawan in 2025, from 62.55 hectares planted. That is 1.03% of national output and ranks the province 24th in the Philippines by volume.

Palawan ranks 10th by area planted but only 24th by volume — 14 places lower than its land base suggests. There is more ground under ube here than the output reflects, which is a yield gap rather than a land shortage.

Palawan volume concentrates in Q2 — April–June — which carries 55.9% of the province's recorded output, averaged across 2023–2025. This is measured on volume produced, not area planted, so it reflects when tubers come out of the ground rather than when they go in.

Largely yes. Most Philippine ube comes off the ground around the December-to-March window. Palawan plants mainly in the first semester, which puts a share of its harvest outside that peak. Off-cycle volume is worth more to a processor than peak volume, because it fills the months when everyone else has nothing.

Yes, but the economics change below a certain size. For Palawan we work with individual growers from 500 kg and with associations or cooperatives at any volume. Below 500 kg the sensible route is to consolidate with neighbouring growers first — we can help coordinate that.

We buy Dioscorea alata (greater yam) — the purple-fleshed ube used for halaya, powder and paste. Kinampay and its local selections are preferred where available for their colour and aroma, but we buy standard local purple types as well. We do not buy Dioscorea esculenta (tugui) or white-fleshed yam.