本研究是以日本殖民統治之下台灣的米穀和砂糖生產為研究對象進行考察。根據1895年中日雙方所簽訂的馬關條約，台灣成為了日本的殖民地，被納入其統治版圖。在「農業台灣、工業日本」的發展目標之下，台灣總督府積極地創造出台灣農業的經濟價值。 在日治時期之前，台灣的土地制度是以「一田兩主」制為主。殖民地政府為了發展台灣的農業，進行了土地調查，將土地的所有權歸於單一地主。以及，隨著租佃慣例改善事業的進行，業主和佃農之間的關係逐漸安定；地主和佃農之間發生紛爭之際也能由業佃會居中調解。透過上述的兩大土地改革事業，台灣農業的生產條件愈臻完善。 日治時期，米穀和砂糖產業成為台灣農業發展的主軸。台灣米穀的品種改良，經過了在來米的改良以及蓬萊米的產出，得到了很大的成果，也因此米穀的產量逐漸增加，能夠持續地補充日本內地的米穀需求。另一方面，隨著甘蔗農業的改良以及製糖工業的進步，台灣砂糖的產量也不斷增加，能夠大量地供給日本全境的砂糖需求。米穀和砂糖產業經過了一連串的品種改良以及技術革新，其商品化的程度愈益提升。 當時，有異於世界上其他殖民地的大農場經營，台灣的農業經營型態依舊是以家庭式耕作的小農經營為主。在日治時期，台灣的米穀和砂糖產業各自有著顯著的發展，而另一方面，資本主義之下「米糖相剋」的現象也成為了米糖部門之間的矛盾問題。 According to the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895 between the Empire of Japan and the Qing Empire, Taiwan was incorporated into the territory of Japan and became a colony of Japan. Under the target of "Agriculture in Taiwan, industy in Japan", the office of Governor-General in Taiwan was creating the economic value of Taiwan''s agriculture actively. Before the Japanese colonial period, "one land two owners system" was the mainstream land system in Taiwan. For the development of Taiwan’s agriculture, the colonial government conducted a land ownership survey, and attributed the land ownership to a single landlord. In Japanese colonial period, rice and sugar industry had become the major projects of Taiwan''s agricultural development. Through a series of improvement of breeds and technological innovation, Taiwan’s rice and sugar continue to complement the demands of Japanese mainland, and the commercialized degree of rice and sugar was gradually growing. At that time, different from the plantation system in other colonies of the world, an intensive agriculture system of family farming was still the mainstream in Taiwan. Taiwan’s rice and sugar industry had undergone a remarkable development. On the other hand, the contradiction of rice and sugar had become a problem between the two sectors under the capitalism.
