VOA常速英语2008年-India Limits Rice Exports to Boost Local Stocks

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
31 March 2008

India has taken steps to drastically limit rice exports in a bid to cool prices and ensure sufficient food stocks for its more than one billion people. As Anjana Pasricha reports, India is battling inflation and a spike¹ in food prices.

The Indian trade ministry² has steeply raised the minimum prices at which all except the most expensive grades of rice can be exported.

The price of rice, a staple³ in many Asian diets, has nearly doubled in international markets during the past three months.

Farm analyst⁴ Devender Sharma, with the New Delhi-based Forum⁵ for Biotechnology and Food Security, says looming⁶ rice shortages in the world have prompted the government to virtually block exports.

He says the government wants to boost local supplies in order to stabilize⁷ rising prices in the domestic market.

"I think the message is very obvious, because if you look at the tightening⁸ of rice position globally, Vietnam has banned exports and Thailand has imposed restrictions," he said. "India knows very well if at this juncture⁹ it allows rice exports to go, there is a clamor for rice from many developing countries. So India has ensured that its own domestic supplies are maintained."

India is the world's second-largest producer of rice and a major rice exporter.

But in keeping with a worldwide trend, India too is coping with a steep hike in prices of staples¹⁰ such as wheat, rice and lentils. Inflation last week climbed to nearly six-point-seven percent - its highest level in the past year. Spiraling food prices are the main culprit.

That has prompted pledges from the government that it will do all it can to stem the rise. The government has already banned the export of cooking oil, and cut some food import taxes to contain prices.

Food prices are a politically sensitive issue in India, where poor rural and urban masses make up more than two-thirds of the country's one billion plus population. The government faces elections next year, and is concerned that runaway¹¹ food prices could anger voters.

Other South Asian countries are also facing a problem. Neighboring Bangladesh faces a massive hike in prices of rice after a cyclone¹² last August wiped out half its rice harvest.

Agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization have warned that food prices will continue to climb steeply in the coming year.

1 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

7 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 juncture   

n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头

参考例句：

• The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
• It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

10 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

11 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

12 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。