Sweetpotato – Industry Strategic Science and Technology Plans (ISPs) Platform

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Sweetpotato

Industry Strategic Science and Technology Program

Industry Profile

Quick Statistics

Strategic R&D

Technologies

Technology Transfer Initiatives

Capacity Building

Policy Research & Advocacy

Sweetpotato Industry Profile

Sweetpotato, locally known as “camote” and scientifically named Ipomoea batatas L., is popularly known as the poor man’s crop in the Philippines. It is a nutritious food primarily consumed as a staple and vegetables. From a mere supplemental source of income to small farmers, sweetpotato has become a vital livelihood crop due to new and high market demand for sweetpotato products such as flour, confections, wine, and feedstuff. Based on the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of 2019, Eastern Visayas remained the top sweetpotato producer with 98.95 thousand metric tons, sharing 18.8 percent of the total output in 2019. Bicol Region followed this with 16.0 percent share; Central Luzon, 9.9 percent; Western Visayas, 8.6 percent; and Caraga, 7.6 percent. The crop is commonly consumed boiled, fried, or roasted and is also used traditionally to create snacks and ingredients for various dishes. It can also be processed into different food products such as chips, noodles, and alcohol. Some products not for human consumption derived from the sweetpotato include animal feed and its use as a thickening agent.

Problems in the Industry

The following key constraints should be addressed to meet growing demands for the sweetpotato: 1. Lack of access to appropriate high-yielding varieties; 2. Inadequate supply of high-quality planting materials; 3. High pest and disease pressures; 4. Poor soil quality; and 5. Weak links to technology sources, markets, and commercial users. One challenge for the sweetpotato industry is the lack of suitable planting materials with high yield and high starch content. In addition, lack of information and technical proficiency in farming, compounded by the limited financial capability of farmers to purchase the necessary inputs, also limits crop yield and quality. Transportation costs for the fresh roots are also high, and there are a limited number of proper storage facilities. These factors jointly hinder further growth and production for smallholders.

Price
Production
Policies and Programs

Farm Gate Price
Retail Price
Wholesale Price

Volume
Value
Area
Yield

Sweet Potato Policies

Policy Type	Policy Number	Policy Year	Congress	Policy Title	Policy Description	Policy Objective	Policy Link	Commodity	Classification	info_encoder_stamp	info_date_stamp	filepath
Bill	House Bill No. 7439	2020	18th	Developing The Root Crops Industry In The Bicol Region, Creating For The Purpose The Root Crops Research And Development Center And The Root Crops Subsidy Fund, And Appropriating Funds Therefor	Declaration of Policy – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote, support, and strengthen the root crops industry in Bicol Regiom, thus providing livelihood opportunities to root crop farmers in the region.	The bill seeks to establish the Root Crops Research and Development Center in Ligao, Province of Albay within a year of the act’s approval. The Center shall be attached to Bicol University.	https://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_18/HB07439.pdf	Sweetpotato	Null	Jeff	11/22/2024	C:\Users\trist\Documents\Formatting\Output\Sweetpotato_2024-11-22_processed.xlsx
Resolution	House Resolution No. 1021	2017	17th	Resolution To Respectfully Request The Department Of Agriculture (DA) Through The Bureau Of Soils And Water Management And The DA-Cordillera Adminitrative Region (DA-CAR) To Conduct A Study On Why The Sweet Potatoes In Mountain Province And Other Parts Of Northern Luzon Are Slowly Diminishing	Whereas, since time immemorial, the sweet potatoes had been among the Cordillera’s staple food and a substitute for rice until some fifteen years ago when it has been noticed that they were shrinking in colume and size Whereas, the House Special Committee on North Luzon Growth Quadrangle (SCNLGQ) having jurisdication on all matters directly and principally relating to all policies and programs concerninig the development of municipalities, cities, provinces and other local communities in the northwest Luzon area is hereby committed to guide the policies and programs to support the strategic direction of the North Luzon development	To respectfully request the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management and the DA-Cordillera Adminitrative Region (DA-CAR) to conduct a study on why the sweet potatoes in Mountain Province and other parts of Northern Luzon are slowly diminishing	https://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_17/HR01021.pdf	Sweetpotato	Null	Jeff	11/22/2024	C:\Users\trist\Documents\Formatting\Output\Sweetpotato_2024-11-22_processed.xlsx
Bill	Senate Bill No. 3278	2009	14th	An Act Establishing A Holistic Health Research And Development Program On Yam Tubers, Authorizing The Appropriation Of Funds Therefor, And For Other Purposes	It is the policy of the State to give priority to research and development, invention, innovation and their utilization. As such, the State shall promote an environment conducive to the development of all its citizens to become, to the best of their potentials, independent, selfreliant and productive members of society. Towards this end, the State commits itself to the establishment of institutional mechanisms to provide quantitative and qualitative research on Philippine yam tubers and other root crops that are responsive to the country’s health needs.	This bill seeks to further improve the performance of the Philippine yam tuber or obe and other root crops industry by appropriating the necessary funding and administering yam tuber and other root crops promotion and research and development, specifically on the medical benefits, potentials and properties of the same, by bringing together in one organization responsibility for promotion and responsibility for research and development, thus enabling better coordination of activities and more efficient use of resources	http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1149710147!.pdf	Sweetpotato	Null	Jeff	11/22/2024	C:\Users\trist\Documents\Formatting\Output\Sweetpotato_2024-11-22_processed.xlsx
Law	Republic Act No. 7900	1995	9th	An Act To Promote The Production, Processing, Marketing, And Distribution Of High-Value Crops, Providing Funds Therefor, And For Other Purposes	This Act shall be known as the “HighValue Crops Development Act of 1995.” This Act shall cover upland dwellers as well as lowland tenants, indigenous and cultural communities, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) beneficiaries, upland farm owners, farmers, farmers’ organizations/associations/cooperatives, community associations and farmworkers, and to the extent herein provided, the departments, offices, agencies, subdivisions, branches or instrumentalities in the areas identified by the Department of Agriculture as key commercial crop production areas.	To accelerate the growth and development of agriculture in general, enhance productivity and incomes of farmers and the rural population, improve investment climate, competencies and efficiency of agribusiness and develop high-value crops as export crops that will significantly augment the foreign exchange earnings of the country, through an all-out promotion of the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of highvalue crops in suitable areas of the country	https://congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/ra_09/Ra07900.pdf	Sweetpotato	Null	Jeff	11/22/2024	C:\Users\trist\Documents\Formatting\Output\Sweetpotato_2024-11-22_processed.xlsx

Data Source: Philippine Statistics Authority. 1990-2022.

Notes:

Volume of production of sweetpotato in metric tons (MT)
Area of production of sweetpotato in hectares (ha)
Yield of sweetpotato production in metric tons (MT)
Utilization of sweetpotato per capita in thousand metric tons
Value of Production at Current Prices in Million PhP

Value of Production at Constant 2018 Prices in Million PhP
Gross Supply of sweetpotato in metric tons
Farmgate price of sweetpotato in Pesos per kilogram
Retail Price of sweetpotato in Pesos per kilogram

ISP for Sweetpotato

The ISP for sweetpotato aims to further boost the sweetpotato industry by developing continuous technological innovations mainly through value chain development and improved support systems concentrating on less-favored environments by the National Sweetpotato R&D.

Strategic R&D

Strategic R&D is DOST-PCAARRD’s banner program comprising all R&D activities that are intended to
generate outputs geared towards maximum economic and social benefits

Development of Sweetpotato Food Value Chains

The sweetpotato industry in Central Luzon, Bicol, and the Visayas is expected to be further boosted through a project led...

S&T-based Agricultural Farming Interventions on the Production of Camote And Gabi

The project aimed to cultivate high-yielding varieties of camote, specifically the NSIC Sp 30, gabi the Iniito of VG2, and...

NICER Program for Sweetpotato

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched the NICER Program in 2017 to improve regional research in higher education...

S&T-based Sweetpotato Value Chain Development for Food in Tarlac, Albay, Leyte and Samar

Then Leyte and Samar were devastated by super-typhoon Yolanda, which left agriculture in disarray. Developments in the aftermath of Yolanda...

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Technology Transfer Initiatives

Technology transfer initiatives ensure that the outputs of R&D and innovations are transformed
into viable and applicable technologies that help intended users

Science and Technology Community Based Farm (STCBF) on Sweetpotato Production in Basey, Samar

The project focuses on both the production and processing of sweetpotato. For the production, more advanced technological interventions will be introduced in the locale by innovating the traditional method of...

Sweetpotato-ISP Business Launch and Product Exhibit

The business launching and product exhibit of the S&T-based Sweetpotato Value Chain Development for Food in Tarlac, Albay, Leyte, and Samar Program was conducted during the 1st Magayon Bicol Agri-Expo...

Capacity building efforts of DOST-PCAARRD seek to develop and enhance the R&D capabilities of researchers
and academic or research institutions through graduate assistantships & non-degree trainings
and development and/or upgrading of research facilities

Infrastructure Development

Root crop Food Processing Center

Zero-waste processing system: Commercially acquired equipment

Zero-waste processing system: Developed equipment

Manpower Development

Enhancement training on root crop processing and camote flour utilization

Participants of Enhancement training on root crop processing and camote flour utilization

Training on root crop processing using PhilRootcrops technologies on flour, chips and Pinoy fries production

Participants of Training on root crop processing using PhilRootcrops technologies on flour, chips and Pinoy fries production

Training on product costing and marketing strategies

Participants Training on product costing and marketing strategies

Policy Research & Advocacy

Analysis of policy concerns and advocacy of science-informed policies ensures that the AANR policy environment is conducive for S&T development
and investments

Competitiveness of Philippine Sweetpotato Industry under the ASEAN Economic Community

Sweetpotato production in the Philippines was found to be competitive under the case of import substitution. This implies that it can compete with imported sweetpotato because producing these domestically is cheaper. However, to be competitive under the export trade scenario, the domestic cost must decrease by 17 percent. In computing the break-even yield, the results show that sweetpotato will still be competitive under the import substitution scenario even if yield (6.24 mt/ha) declines by 59 percent.

Reference:

Andal, E. G., Lapiña, G. F., Manalo, N. Q., Dorado, R. A. Valientes, R. M., & Cruz, M. B. (2017). ASEAN Economic Community: Opportunities and Challenges for the Agriculture, Fishery, and Forestry Sectors. Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines: Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development – (Project Report)

PCAARRD's Industry Strategic Science and Technology Programs