MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — Ube farmers in Bukidnon are poised to tap the
international market under a P35-million investment partnership that seeks to establish a reliable
supply of the purple yam for export while giving growers access to farm inputs, technical
assistance and a guaranteed buyer.

The five-year initiative was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed on October
5 by the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10), Verueco Ventures
Corp. (VVC) and two farmer associations at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and
Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC) here.
The project brings together the Lantapan Ube Planters Association (LUPA) in Lantapan and the
Balugto Hope Agroforestry Association Inc. in Talakag, with the two groups expected to enter
into separate profit-sharing arrangements with VVC.

The partnership targets an annual production of about 1.5 million kilograms of ube to help meet
the demand for high-quality raw materials for processing and export.
VVC Treasurer Jan Romeo Verueco said the investment was driven by the growing potential of
ube in the global market. He described the undertaking as the company’s pioneering project
involving ube farmers, with the aim of establishing a stable supply of raw ube for processing.
Under the arrangement, harvested ube will be transported to Batangas for processing into ube
powder before being exported to the United States, opening an international market for farmers
in Bukidnon.
For participating growers, the agreement offers a measure of security against one of agriculture’s
persistent challenges: finding a dependable market for their harvest.
Junita D. Luminda of Balugto Hope welcomed the partnership, saying an assured buyer before
planting would help farmers avoid the uncertainty of producing crops without knowing whether
they could sell them.
“We are very grateful to be part of this [project] because this is the first time we have
experienced planting with an assured buyer,” Luminda said, recalling previous difficulties in
vegetable farming when oversupply left farmers struggling to find markets for their produce.
LUPA Chairperson Roel Soria likewise stressed that financing alone cannot sustain a farming
enterprise without a reliable outlet for its products.
“We may be able to find financing anywhere, but without a market, it is still of no use,” Soria
said, thanking the Department of Agriculture for helping make the initiative possible.
DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan assured VVC and the
participating associations of the agency’s continued technical support throughout the project’s
implementation.
The department will assist through soil sampling and analysis, the provision of farm machinery,
organic fertilizers and quality planting materials, as well as regular field monitoring to help
ensure productivity and long-term sustainability, Pacamalan said.
The signing was also witnessed by Elevate Foods Group Chief Executive Officer Jose Marcelo
III and Jacqueline Julia Lagamon, representing the Bukidnon Provincial Agriculture Office.
The initiative underscores the role of public-private partnerships in linking local farmers to
higher-value markets while strengthening the province’s agricultural enterprises.
(AMBM/melbmadera)