臺灣主要之雜糧作物包括甘藷、落花生、玉米、大豆、高粱等五種。在1960年代雜糧栽培面積曾高達430,000公頃，年生產量為4,000,000公噸，價值新台幣60億元，佔農作物生產總值18%，為主要農作產業之一。後因雜糧大宗進口，使得國內栽培面積銳滅，到1981僅剩154,000公頃，生產量1,045,000公噸價值73億元，只佔農作物生產總值7.2%。臺灣雜糧生產衰退之原因有：(1)國外大宗進口影響國內生產。(2)生產成本偏高利潤微薄。(3)受到耕作制度之限制，未能充分發揮增產潛力。(4)保證價格收購未盡合理。(5)單位面積產量偏低。(6)農村勞力缺乏影響秋裏作雜糧栽培。(7)雜糧栽培機化進展緩慢。(8)雜糧作物改良研究人才不足。今後發展之目標是：(1)育成品質優良之甘藷食用及澱粉品種。(2)發展高蛋白質大粒型落花生品種。(3)育成適宜稻田轉作之高產玉米。(4)育成豐產、質優及抗病之大豆品種。(5)發展適於製酒及飼料用之不同高粱品種。(6)加強栽培技術改進之研究，以提高單位面積產量，降低生產成本。(7)加強栽培雜糧研究人才。

Sweet potato,peanut,corn,soybean and sorghum are the major five upland food crops in Taiwan. In 1960 years, 430,000 hectares of planted area and 4,000,000 tons of production for these crops was reached the highest recrod. But recently, owing to big quantity of grains import from foreign countries, the total planted area and production of above-mentioned crops decreased to 154,000 hectares and 1,045,000 tons in 1981 respectively. The main reson of decreasing is as follows: (1)big quantity of grains import,(2) high production cost and low net income, (3) yield potential limitted by current cropping system, (4) unresonable guarantee purchase price, (5) low yield per hectare, (6) lbor shortage in rural area, (7) lack of available machinery for upland food crops, (8) qualified personel in crop research is not enough. Future goal for these upland crops will be emphaized on : (1)development of high quality sweet potatoes for human consumption and starch usage, (2)breeding a variety with high protein content and large kernel in peanut, (3) breeding a high yield corn for growing in paddy field, (4) breeding for high yield, better quality and disease resistance in soybean,(5)development of different varieties for different usages (alcohol and feeding ) in sorghum, (6) improvement of cultural techniques to increase yield in each crop (7)promote the quality of upland crops research personel.