AGRICULTURE REPORT - New Rice For West Africa

AGRICULTURE REPORT
–
April 16, 2002: New Rice For West Africa

By George Grow

This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.

A new kind of rice is coming to West Africa. The new rice is said to have the best qualities of traditional African
rice. It also has the higher productivity¹ of Asian rice. It increases harvests by as much as fifty percent.

The West African Rice Development Association² announced plans to give the new
rice to farmers in several West African countries.

Rice is the main food in much of West Africa. The West African Rice Development
Association says demand for rice is growing faster there than anywhere in the
world. It says rice imports have risen in West Africa during the past thirty years.

Experts say the African and Asian versions³ of rice developed separately over many
centuries. The African rice plant falls down when the plant is filled with rice. The
grain head breaks apart easily, so some rice is lost. Asian rice is more productive⁴. It has become popular in world
markets.

For years, scientists talked about combining the best qualities of African rice with those of Asian rice. Yet
attempts to combine the two kinds of rice failed.

In Nineteen-Ninety-One, researcher Monty Jones started using genetic⁵ engineering⁶ methods to combine the two.
The genetic differences of the plants made the work difficult. Yet the differences also led to improvements⁷ in the
new rice. Scientists say the product of two genetically⁸ different plants grows faster and is more productive.

Scientists have created several kinds of new rice for Africa. These kinds of rice resist dry weather, harmful
insects and poor soils. They also slow the growth of unwanted plants. That reduces labor⁹, and permits farmers to
work the same land for longer periods.

The new kinds of rice also have a different structure of the grain head. African rice produces only seventy -five to
one-hundred grains. The new rice plants produce as many as four-hundred grains. The rice plants hold the grains
firmly, so they do not fall apart.

The new kinds of rice develop about one month earlier than other rice. They also are taller. This makes
harvesting easier. Experts say they also contain more protein than other rice.

The West African Rice Development Association says the new rice also may help rice growers in Asia, Central
America and South America.

This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow. This is __________.

(Picture -West African Rice
Development Association)
Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version

1 productivity   

n.生产力，生产率，多产

参考例句：

• Farmers are introducing in novations which increase the productivity.农民们正引进提高生产力的新方法。
• The workers try to put up productivity.工人设法提高生产率。

2 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

3 versions   

n.译本( version的名词复数 )；版本；（个人对事件的）描述；（原物的）变体

参考例句：

• There are two versions of the game, a long one and a short one. 这游戏有两个版本，一长一短。
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

5 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

6 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

7 improvements   

增加或修改( improvement的名词复数 )； 改进； 改善； 改良

参考例句：

• improvements in efficiency at the factory 工厂效率的提高
• They've spent a lot of money on home improvements. 他们花了很多钱装修家居。

8 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。