Yu Tzong-shian explains: "During the Civil War, goods and provisions from Taiwan were shipped to the mainland to support the war effort." After the fall of the mainland and the severing of communications across the Taiwan Strait, the island experienced desperate material shortages. Hoarding and speculation were rampant.
「國共內戰時，台灣的糧米物資紛紛運到大陸去支援作戰」，中經院前院長于宗先指出，後來大陸淪陷，兩岸交通中斷，島上的物資極度缺乏，囤積搶購的風潮一發不可收拾。