VOA常速英语2008年-Rising Price of Rice Triggers Concern in Asia

By Luis Ramirez
Bangkok
28 March 2008

The cost of rice has risen up to 50 percent on world markets, raising concerns among aid agencies in Asia. The agencies say they are facing shortfalls in efforts to feed the hungry in the region.  VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok.

The price of rice on world markets has doubled since 2004 and in the past two months alone has gone up 50 percent.  Rising fuel and fertilizer costs, and natural disasters are fueling the price hikes.

The rising costs have triggered warnings of unrest in the Philippines.  Cambodia and Vietnam have cut their rice exports, actions that analysts¹ say threaten to push prices up even further in the coming months.

The World Food Program (WFP) recently launched what it said is an extraordinary emergency appeal for donor² nations to increase their donations. The agency says it faces a $500 million shortfall, $160 million of that in Asia, a situation that officials say may soon force them to start cutting rations³.

Gaddi Vasquez, the U.S. ambassador to U.N. food and agriculture agencies is traveling in Asia. He met on Friday with officials of the World Food Program and others in Bangkok to talk about solving what he said could turn into a significant humanitarian⁴ crisis.  Mr. Vasquez told reporters the United States, the largest single donor to the World Food Program, has not yet decided⁵ if it will increase donations in the wake of rising food prices.

"The United States is currently about 43 percent of the donor base of the World Food Program and the assessment⁶ of what, if any, contributions could be supplemented to that effort are under way in Washington, DC, and being looked by the agencies that provide the funding," he said.

U.S. and WFP officials say they are searching for ways to cut transportation and other non-food costs.  They say one way is to develop means of purchasing and processing food in the countries that receive the aid, rather than have to transport it from far away places.

World Food Program officials say their ability to feed people has dropped significantly in the last few months.  As an example, officials say that just last year, $15 million could buy 189,000 tons of food and feed 3.5 million people in Afghanistan.  Now, they say the same $15 million allows them to purchase only 112,000 tons to feed 1.9 million people.

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

3 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

4 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？