Cows, Farmers at Risk in Portugal's Azores

The Azores, the Portuguese¹ group of islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, has seen seismic² activity since March 19th. More than 14,000 small earthquakes have hit the island.

The dairy farmers on the volcanic³ island of Sao Jorge are worried.

Sao Jorge has fertile, green farmland that is used by the many cows that move around the island eating grass. The cows produce fresh milk that is used for traditional cheese, the main source of money for many families. Milk production is 70 percent to 80 percent of the island's economy.

The small earthquakes, called tremors⁴, have increased in strength to a magnitude⁵ of 3.3 over the past few days. The tremors could signal a greater earthquake or even a volcanic eruption⁶. CIVISA watches for earthquake and volcanic activity. They increased the volcanic activity level to Level 4, the second highest.

This means that there is a strong chance that the island could see its first eruption since 1808.

Despite the tremors, farmers continue to milk over 200 cows every day. Rui Bettencourt is a 47-year-old farmer. He says that he does not have time to think about the earthquakes.

"There are earthquakes but we have to go out every day. We can't abandon the animals," says Bettencourt.

Antonio Aguiar is the president of the factory where Bettencourt sells his milk. He says that the farmers will be the last to leave the island if a natural disaster happens.

"They (farmers) continue to work because this is where they earn their income," said Aguiar.

Some people of the island have already left because they are afraid of a possible eruption. This has led to shortages⁷ of workers in all three of Sao Jorge's cheese factories.

If there are not enough workers to process the milk, farmers will make less money. The agricultural leader of the government said they would help with financial support for farmers who cannot sell their milk.

Aguiar says that farmers here and around the world are already struggling with rising fuel and animal feed prices due to the Russian war in Ukraine. A natural disaster would make the situation more difficult.

There is also a concern over volcanic ash and its effect on farmland. And lastly, the cows are showing signs of stress due to the tremors, says Aguiar. The government of the Azores said it would help move the animals to safe places if there is more activity.

Antonio Jorge is another dairy farmer in his 40s. He says that he is scared, but he has no plans right now to leave the island.

"... I'm not going to turn my back on what I have here and walk off the island," he said.

Words in This Story

seismic – adj. describing the waves or vibrations⁸ that move through the earth during earthquakes

magnitude – n. a great amount or size

eruption – n. the process of bursting or exploding

abandon –v. to leave something or something behind without care

income – n. money typically made from working

ash – n. leftover⁹ material or particles from a volcanic eruption that fall from the sky and settle on the ground

stress –adj. mental pressure or anxiety

1 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

2 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

3 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

4 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

5 magnitude   

n.大小；重大；星等

参考例句：

• I want to know the magnitude of this equipment.我想知道这个设备的大小。
• I hadn't realized the magnitude of the problem.我没有认识到这个问题的重要性。

6 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

7 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

8 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。