Sweet potato, lpomoea batatas, is widely planted after introduced into Taiwan. The article is based on the changes of area and production of sweet potato, and the R&D trend of the varieties since the 20 century to control of the role of sweet potato on the food demand. From the high percentage of dry chip and starch content changed to the high nutritious and taste consuming-oriented market, the sweet potato plantation stage in Taiwan can be divided into three periods: During the Japanese period, it is mainly the high percentage of dry chip and starch content Paiholan and Tainung No. 31; During the period after Taiwan Recovery to 1966, it is mainly high percentage of dry chip and starch content Hosuwin and Tainung No. 31; from 1966 to now, it is mainly the tasteful Tainung No.57 and No.66. Sweet potato have good land adaptation chacter. The localized cultivation method is by crop roatation to aviod causing pest.s damage due to continutious plantation. As for the short growing season or short of irritation area, it applied the single cultivation. During the period from 1950 to 1966, the area was able to keep at about 230,000 hectares which mainly distributed at Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan area. After 1967, free of miscellaneous gain crops importment replaced feed supply chacter. The area is growing down to 10,000 hectares in 1993. And Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan and coastal sand area are major plantation area. As for.sweet potato production has been sharply reduced from more than 3 million M.T. to 180,000 M.T. on the past 20 years. At present, sweet potato has its marketing channel and transaction style on the supply of fresh food, processing and starch making. As for the marketing of the fresh and processing product depended on sales merchant traditionally. However, in the past ten more years, the northern coastal area have organized a mutual.shipping and marketing system to sell fresh sweet potato. As to the powered sweet potato, due to the deline of the starch industry, the area is growing down. Most factories changed to contract to the farmers to control the raw matherial source, or to import cassava and processed starch powder.