VOA标准英语2008年-India Hoping for 'Rich' Harvest of Rice, Corn,

Indian agriculture officials say they expect a rich harvest of food grains this year following abundant rains mid-way through the monsoon¹ season. From New Delhi, Anjana Pasricha reports the anticipated increase in food supply could help the country battle high food prices.
　
A vendor² sells vegetables in flooded road in Ahmadabad, India, 13 Jul 2008

India is just mid-way through its monsoon season. But already, adequate rains have given farmers reason to cheer.

In a country where only 40 per cent of farmland is irrigated³, monsoon rains that drench⁴ India from June to September are critical for farmers.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar says he is expecting a "rich harvest" of rice, corn and soya bean crops this year due to the well-distributed rains. That would follow a record output of wheat earlier in the year.

This is good news for India, where millions of poor people have been hurt by higher food prices.

Economist⁵ Saumitra Chaudhuri, a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory⁶ Council, says high food grain production will reduce pressure on domestic food prices.

"Food is a particularly sensitive item," said Chaudhuri. "Most of the consumption basket of poor people consists of food, and a good harvest essentially⁷ helps us to keep prices under control."

Officials say India will not need to import wheat this year, as it has the last two years. The government has bought about one-third of the production from farmers, filling its granaries and easing concerns of scarcity⁸.

However, India is unlikely to lift a ban clamped earlier in the year on exports of most varieties of rice. The ban contributed to rising prices of rice in the world.

Chaudhuri says international grain prices are too high for India to risk lifting the ban.

"I think what the government really does not ever want to do in this situation is to become an importer for whatever reason, because then whatever check that has been placed on food prices so far will really come unstuck, so I think they would probably wait for grain prices to come to more reasonable levels before they review this particular ban," added Chaudhuri.

India is the world's second biggest producer of wheat and rice, and some years ago, it exported surpluses. But declining agricultural productivity in recent years has raised concerns that the country may no longer produce enough food to feed its population of over one billion, putting further pressure on a world where food scarcities⁹ are emerging.

　

 

1 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

2 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

3 irrigated   

[医]冲洗的

参考例句：

• They irrigated their crops with water from this river. 他们用这条小河里的水浇庄稼。
• A crop can be sown, weeded, irrigated, and fertilized uniformly. 一种作物可以均匀一致地进行播种，除草，灌溉和施肥。

4 drench   

v.使淋透，使湿透

参考例句：

• He met a drench of rain.他遇上一场倾盆大雨。
• They turned fire hoses on the people and drenched them.他们将消防水管对着人们，把他们浇了个透。

5 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。

6 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

9 scarcities   

不足，缺乏( scarcity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Japan has scarcities in most natural resources. 日本缺乏大部分的天然资源。
• A novelty of the test is to link collective decision with relative factor scarcities. 这一检验的新颖之处在于，它将集体决策与要素的相对稀缺性相联系。