Deep Affection in War Period

 
 

Because sweet potato can grow up in infertile land, it becomes a kind of relief food in other countries when natural disasters occur or when locusts prevail. However, sweet potato was forgotten when the crisis was over. Luckily, it was treated differently in mainland China. It is the major food during crisis, and it turns out to be feedstuff for livestock when crisis is over.

  
 
  Sweet potato's most prominent function is to relieve disaster. The most important thing of all emperors and officials of all dynasties in the Chinese history was to let people always be fed full. When sweet potato was treated as a role to relieve disasters in the 16th century in Fujian, it became high profile. The government used sweet potato to relieve disasters. In 1953, the Fujian's governor, Xue-Zeng Jin, fully promoted sweet potato, made sweet potato popular in Fujian, and rescue the Fujian refugees. It was a glorious page of sweet potato's playing a role of relieving disasters.

Sweet potato was the difficulty-overcoming food in war period.

Sweet potato was the difficulty-overcoming food in war period.

 
 
 

Sweet potato delivered warmth to the Taiwanese people in war period.

Sweet potato delivered warmth to the Taiwanese people in war period.
In 1607, famine occurred in Hui-An, Fujian. At that time, rice price rose so sharply that the helpless refugees saved their lives by eating sweet potato. In certain areas of Fujian where lack of food was a common phenomenon, sweet potato became a mechanism to balance rice price. People at that time said that the food would be sufficient in half a year as long as they planted sweet potato.
  
 
  Promoted by several officials and Guang-Qi Xu in Ming Dynasty, sweet potato stepped out of Fujian into Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, etc., relieving disasters in these provinces. Guang-Qi Xu imported sweet potato into Jiangsu three times and gained a lot of recognition. Sweet potato was spread quickly in Jiangsu. Until the turn of Ming and Qing Dynasties, the spreading was slowed down. Owing to the fact that the population was decreased after war in the early Qing Dynasty and in turn the pressure of lacking food was also alleviated, the motive for planting sweet potato was weakened accordingly.

Harvesting sweet potato.

Harvesting sweet potato.

  
 
 

Sweet potato played a role of food control during World War II.

Sweet potato played a role of food control during World War II.

 In the heat of World War II, sweet potato was under control in order to ensure that the food offering was enough in the「Great East Asia Prosperity Union」. Sweet potato became the difficulty-overcoming food in Japan’s food crisis. At that time whenever food and goods lacked, Taiwan's sweet potato deeply captured the attention of the Japanese ruling government and it in turn started to work on the related technology research, experiment, and promotion.  
 
  In the later years of Japanese occupation period, sweet potato played an important role in food supply, protecting Taiwanese people from food shortage. Sweet potato delivered warmth to the Taiwanese people in war period.

After the crisis is over, sweet potato became the livestock feedstuff.

After the crisis is over, sweet potato became the livestock feedstuff.