VOA慢速英語：全球小麥供應萎縮，美國小麥減產

VOA慢速英語：全球小麥供應萎縮，美國小麥減產
 
American farmers are having crop production problems at a time when many countries are facing a food crisis.
在許多國家正面臨糧食危機的同時，美國農民面臨農作物生產問題。
 
The United States is the world's fourth-largest wheat exporter.
美國是世界第四大小麥出口國。
 
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February stopped shipments of nearly a third of the world's wheat exports.
今年2月，俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭，導致全球近三分之一的小麥出口中斷。
 
Little has gone right for wheat supplies since then.
自那以后，小麥供應一直不太順利。
 
Concerns about food supplies have increased because of worsening harvest possibilities in China and parts of Europe.
由于中國和歐洲部分地區(qū)的收成可能不太樂觀，人們對糧食供應的擔憂有所增加。
 
In addition to that, major producer India has banned wheat exports because of a bad spring harvest there.
除此之外，主要生產國印度由于春季收成不好，已經禁止小麥出口。
 
The United Nations has warned the effect of the war on grains, oils, fuel and fertilizer could result in hunger for millions of people.
聯(lián)合國警告稱，這場戰(zhàn)爭對糧食、石油、燃料和化肥的影響可能會導致數(shù)百萬人挨餓。
 
The U.S. government has been calling on American farmers to plant more winter wheat this autumn.
美國政府一直呼吁美國農民在今年秋季種植更多冬小麥。
 
The government said it also would permit planting on some environmentally sensitive land beginning this autumn.
美國政府表示，從今年秋天開始，還將允許在一些環(huán)境敏感的土地上種植作物。
 
But a drought and costly farm materials could limit production gains, grain experts say.
但糧食專家表示，干旱和昂貴的農用材料可能會限制糧食生產。
 
There are two wheat crops in the United States: spring wheat and winter wheat.
美國有兩種小麥：春小麥和冬小麥。
 
Both are in trouble.
這兩種小麥都陷入了困境。
 
In the southern U.S. Plains, winter wheat farmers have received very little rain and are concerned about the size of their harvest.
在美國南部平原，由于降雨量非常少，冬小麥種植者擔心收成多少。
Kansas farmers may not harvest thousands of hectares of wheat in fields this year because of drought damage.
由于旱災，堪薩斯州農民今年可能無法收獲數(shù)千公頃的小麥。
 
Extremely wet spring weather in the northern U.S. plains will also likely reduce crop production this year.
美國北部平原今年春季極其潮濕的天氣，也可能會使農作物的產量減少。
 
In North Dakota, a big April storm left the state's large fields under more than 1 meter of snow in some areas, causing floods as the snow melted.
在北達科他州，4月的一場暴風雪使該州大片農田積雪超過1米，積雪融化后，引發(fā)了洪水。
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers have only planted 49 percent of planned spring wheat as of May 22.
美國農業(yè)部表示，截至5月22日，農民只種了春小麥計劃種植面積的49%。
 
North Dakota produces about half of the U.S. spring wheat.
北達科他州的春小麥產量約占美國春小麥總產量的一半。
 
There, growers have planted just 27 percent of their crop, the second lowest amount in around 40 years.
在那里，農民只播種了種植面積的27%，這是大約40年來小麥播種面積第二低。
 
"Some farmers have not turned a wheel yet," said North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring.
北達科他州農業(yè)專員道格·戈林說：“一些農民至今還沒開始耕作。”
 
He added that if farmers are not able to plant a lot of crops quickly, the effects on the world market could be bad.
他還說，如果農民不能迅速種植大量作物，對世界市場的影響可能會很糟糕。
 
A private group visiting wheat fields in Kansas in mid-May predicted more fields than normal might go unharvested because of drought damage.
5月中旬，一個參觀堪薩斯州麥田的私人團體預測，由于旱災，可能會有更多的麥田沒有收成。
 
About six percent of the state's planted hectares would be abandoned, the latest USDA estimates suggest.
美國農業(yè)部的最新估計顯示，該州約6%的種植面積將會被遺棄。
 
But given the drought damage, Kansas State University wheat expert Romulo Lollato thinks the abandonment rate could be higher.
但考慮到旱災，堪薩斯州立大學的小麥專家羅穆洛·洛拉托認為，棄耕率可能會更高。
 
In neighboring Colorado, abandonment could top 30 percent, Colorado Wheat Executive Director Brad Erker told tour participants.
科羅拉多小麥公司的執(zhí)行董事布拉德·厄克告訴參觀者們，在鄰近的科羅拉多州，棄耕率可能高達30%。
 
"Wheat yields are affected by weather in May, and we've had a really dry May," said Kansas farmer Vance Ehmke.
堪薩斯州農民萬斯·埃姆克說：“小麥產量受5月天氣的影響，今年5月天氣非常干燥。”
 
U.S. wheat production has been decreasing because farmers have been planting more corn and soybeans.
美國小麥產量一直下降的另一個原因，是農民種植了更多的玉米和大豆。
 
These crops can produce more profit.
這些作物可以產生更多的利潤。
 
Seed science also has increased yields by 30 percent or more since 2000.
自2000年以來，種子科學也使產量增加了30%或更多。
 
Wheat's yield has increased only six percent.
小麥產量只增加了6%。
 
As the planting period in the northern Plains narrows, North Dakota farmers are considering other plans.
隨著北部平原種植期的縮短，北達科他州的農民正在考慮其他計劃。
 
These include changing to soybeans, which can be planted later in the spring.
其中包括改種大豆，大豆可以在春末種植。
 
Another possibility is to fill out documents for crop insurance claims to limit farm losses.
另一種可能的方法是填寫農作物保險索賠文件，以限制農業(yè)損失。
 
"It's pretty tempting to file those claims," North Dakota farmer Dwight Grotberg said.
北達科他州的農民德懷特·格羅特伯格說：“索賠是非常誘人的。”
 
"Once you get into June, you might be lucky to get half a crop. And with costs as high as they are, that's hard to stomach."
“一旦進入6月份，可能會幸運地收獲一半的收成。但考慮到高昂的成本，又很難讓人接受。”
 
I'm John Russell.
約翰·拉塞爾報道。