Filipino Ube Farmers Struggle to Meet Global Demand

Every month, Ren Pulido buys about 120 pounds of pureed ube from the freezer aisles of her local supermarkets. Mixing the bright purple yam with milk and sugar, she makes ube halaya, a creamy Filipino dessert that Pulido uses as a base for lilac-hued cheesecakes, brownies and other treats she and her wife sell at various locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Recently, Pulido has had to work harder to procure that essential ingredient. Ube prices have more than doubled since 2019, to $4.99 a pound, she says, and one of the grocery stores she frequents is often low ...