VOA新闻杂志2023 英国农场利润低、成本高（在线收听）

Low Profits, High Costs Equal Less from Britain’s Farms

英国农场利润低、成本高

Some of Britain's fruit growers are reducing their production because it is too costly to grow their crops.

英国的一些果农正在减产，因为种植成本太高。

James Smith's family has grown apples on a farm in southeastern England since 1882. But now Smith is tearing down his fields of apple trees.

詹姆斯·史密斯一家自1882年以来一直在英格兰东南部的一个农场种植苹果。但现在史密斯正在推倒他的苹果树地。

Smith's farm is in Kent. The area became known as the "Garden of England" hundreds of years ago partly because of its apples. But the crop is no longer profitable for Smith.

史密斯的农场在肯特郡。数百年前，这个地区被称为“英格兰花园”，部分原因是这里有苹果。但对史密斯来说，这种作物不再有利可图。

"I don't really want to get rid of all of my fruit, but I simply cannot see a way of overcoming all of the challenges," Smith said.

史密斯说：“我真的不想扔掉所有的水果，但我根本看不到克服所有挑战的方法。”。

Red apple sales to large food stores, or supermarkets, have not been profitable for years, he said.

他说，向大型食品店或超市销售红苹果已经多年没有盈利了。

Weather and worker shortages are all problems. Inflation over the last year brought the situation to a crisis.

天气和工人短缺都是问题。去年的通货膨胀使局势陷入危机。

For 2022's crop to break even, Smith said, he needed supermarkets to pay him 20 percent more than a year earlier for each wooden crate of apples. But supermarkets offered 0.8 percent more.

史密斯说，为了使2022年的作物实现收支平衡，他需要超市为每一木箱苹果支付比一年前多20%的费用。但超市提供的价格要高出0.8%。

The offer was the last in a series of unpleasant events for Smith.

这个报价是史密斯一系列不愉快事件中的最后一个。

"If I stop growing fruit I can make money," he said, explaining his plans to diversify away from apples by turning to livestock, a vineyard and a farm shop.

“如果我停止种植水果，我就能赚钱，”他解释说，他计划通过转向牲畜、葡萄园和农场商店来实现苹果以外的多样化。

The government says Britain's fruit production has been decreasing since 2015. It was down 12 percent in 2021 from the year earlier. Britain imports about 85 percent of its fruit.

英国政府表示，自2015年以来，英国的水果产量一直在下降。2021比上年下降了12%。英国85%的水果进口。

Supermarkets say they need to hold prices down because of the increase in the general cost of living. Food price inflation stood at a record level of 17.5 percent, the most recent industry data for March suggests.

超市表示，由于一般生活成本的上涨，他们需要压低价格。3月份的最新行业数据显示，食品价格通胀率达到创纪录的17.5%。

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is an industry group that represents supermarkets. The BRC said its members get the majority of their food from Britain. The BRC added that supermarkets know they need to pay farmers a price that will permit continued food production.

英国零售联合会（BRC）是一个代表超市的行业组织。英国零售商协会表示，其成员的大部分食物来自英国。BRC补充说，超市知道他们需要向农民支付一个价格，让他们能够继续生产食品。

BRC's Director of Food & Sustainability Andrew Opie said, "Given the pressure on British farmers at the moment, retailers are paying more for their produce."

BRC食品与可持续发展总监Andrew Opie表示：“鉴于目前英国农民面临的压力，零售商正在为他们的产品支付更多的费用。”

Smith said he has supplied all the big supermarkets over the last 10 years. But supermarkets do not pay enough, he noted.

史密斯说，在过去的10年里，他为所有的大型超市供货。但他指出，超市支付的费用不够。

"Retailers are completely committed to making sure we can't make any sensible profit, not even in the good years," said Smith.

Smith说：“零售商完全致力于确保我们不能获得任何合理的利润，即使在经济好的年份也是如此。”。

By paying producers in the country so little, he believes retailers are setting up problems for the future.

他认为，由于向国内生产商支付的费用如此之少，零售商正在为未来制造问题。

If other farmers like him stop producing, Britain will depend more on imports and possibly be hurt by supply shocks.

如果像他这样的其他农民停止生产，英国将更加依赖进口，并可能受到供应冲击的伤害。

For the farmers that continue, it will be a battle.

对于继续种植的农民来说，这将是一场战斗。

Richard Napier is a professor in plant and agricultural biosciences at the University of Warwick. Napier said, "Clearly a grower with no margins hasn't got the profits to invest back in the business."

Richard Napier是华威大学的植物和农业生物科学教授。纳皮尔说：“很明显，一个没有利润的种植者没有利润来投资于企业。”

In Kent, Smith is removing 80 percent of his orchards. Last year growing apples lost him $186,000. His loss would have been higher had it not been for other money he made from his land.

在肯特郡，史密斯正在拆除他80%的果园。去年种苹果让他损失了186000美元。如果不是因为他从自己的土地上赚了其他钱，他的损失会更大。

Last harvest's Braeburn apples have not been sold yet. Apples sit in a warehouse where they are kept at between 0.5 and 1 degree Celsius. That results in big energy costs.

上次收获的Braeburn苹果还没有卖出去。苹果放在仓库里，温度在0.5到1摄氏度之间。这导致了巨大的能源成本。

Last October, Smith's monthly energy cost per kilowatt hour was 450 percent higher than in 2021. Labor costs increased 15 percent, and other materials used for apple farming increased in price as well.

去年10月，史密斯的每月每千瓦时能源成本比2021高出450%。劳动力成本上涨了15%，其他用于种植苹果的材料价格也上涨了。

Smith said turning away from apple production was the best way to make sure his family's farm survives.

史密斯说，放弃苹果生产是确保他家农场生存的最佳方式。

He bought a juicing business for which he will continue to grow some apples. Pigs and chickens will be brought in. He also has a farm shop selling juice and other produce.

他买下了一家榨汁公司，并将继续种植一些苹果。猪和鸡将被带进来。他还有一家农场商店，出售果汁和其他农产品。

In addition to these changes, Smith is planting a vineyard and is growing small amounts of cherries.

除了这些变化外，史密斯正在种植一个葡萄园，并种植少量樱桃。

Under Smith's plan, the garden lives on, but it is producing less food than it once did.

根据史密斯的计划，这个花园继续存在，但它生产的食物比以前少了。

Words in This Story

get rid of –idiom to do something so that you are no longer affected by it

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem

break even – verb (phrasal) to reach the point where costs and income are equal and after which a profit can be made

crate – n. a large wooden box used for moving things or storing things

vineyard – n. a field where grapes are grown, usually for the purpose of producing wine

sensible – adj. having or showing good judgment

margin – n. an extra amount of something (such as time or space) that can be used if it is needed

warehouse – n. a large building used for storing goods