VOA慢速英语2015 越来越多的肯尼亚人探索农业企业

AS IT IS 2015-08-31 More Kenyans Exploring Agricultural Businesses 越来越多的肯尼亚人探索农业企业

Each year, many Kenyans graduate from a college or university. Yet many graduates are unable find a job in the country after finishing their studies. The reason: large numbers of young Kenyans are already unemployed¹.

Now, some university graduates are turning to agriculture as a way to fight unemployment. They think that farming can be as satisfying as any other business or job.

Thirty-three-year old Caleb Karuga is the owner and operator of Wendy Farms. He grows vegetables, and keeps farm animals, including dairy cows and poultry².

Three years ago, he began training for an agricultural business, or agribusiness. He signed a lease to use land owned by other people. He now has four pieces of farmland.

Caleb Karuga says many young people are going into agribusiness. He says the business does not require a lot of money to start.

"Many are times people think you need a lot of money to get into agribusiness; with 100 dollars you're good to lease some land, really in Kenya. In any part of the country, one acre you are good to go."

Increasing numbers of young people are turning to farming, and the industry is growing.

Diana Kuya is studying diplomacy³ at the University of Nairobi. She has identified some land that is available for lease. She plans to launch an agribusiness once she is done with her studies.

"Knowledge is important but it's not everything you know. You have to be wise, you want to wait for that white collar job so that you start getting your own money so that you become independent and all that stuff. And an amazing thing about agriculture is that you can start it at whatever age."

Jacob Natu, an economist⁴ at Kenyatta University, agrees. He says this is one reason why the Kenyan government is adding billions of dollars into the sector⁵. He says it wants to push agriculture from subsistence farming to business.

"People are no longer seeing agriculture as a way for those who cannot make it, but instead it's becoming a sector which can attract each and every one of us. So it can solve the very big unemployment problem that we are currently facing."

Agricultural experts say there has been a change in thinking about farming. They say many Kenyans now understand that the agricultural sector can be satisfying if done right. They also say people new to farming, like Diana Kuya, will need advisors⁶ to guide them.

Words in This Story

sector – n. a part of an economy that includes certain jobs

lease – n. a legal agreement that lets someone use a house, land , etc. for a period for time in return for payment.

1 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

2 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

3 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网