VOA标准英语2012--FAO: Food Prices Fell Sharply in December

FAO: Food Prices Fell Sharply in December

International food prices fell sharply in December. However, a U.N. agency says overall prices remained high in 2011. The Food and Agriculture Organization also says that price trends are uncertain for 2012.
FAO Senior Grains Economist¹ Abdolreza Abbassian said the Food Price Index fell nearly two and a half percent from November.
“Well, December was simply a continuation of the downward trend that we’ve been witnessing for the last, let’s say, 5 or 6 months, which was in reaction to production numbers being revised up quite, I would say, significantly, the recession fears and a slowdown in the global economy and the strengthening of the dollar. So, I think those three factors weighed quite heavily on international prices,” he said.
Face value
The FAO Food Price Index measures 55 commodities on the international market. Abbassian said the decline in prices last month should not simply be taken at face value.
“If you’re a consumer or an importing country, obviously, any decline in price is a welcome development. But we need to put this in perspective. Put this in perspective means that a lot of the poorer countries or developing countries would have to pay for the food imports with (the) U.S. dollar. And (the) U.S. dollar had appreciated quite a bit depending of course against which currency and which country. But in general terms it’s been strengthening. And this to some extent could unfortunately offset² any gain received from paying lower prices,” he said.
Declines were led by lower prices for cereals, sugar and oils due, in part, to bumper³ crops in 2011. But Abbassian said those declines were generally modest, despite December’s figures. Average prices for the year were actually higher than 2008 during the food crisis – and the highest since 1990 when the Food Price Index began, once adjusted for inflation.
“Any decline,” he said, “is good from that perspective. One has to be a bit careful about celebrating it. You know it’s not going to have such a significant impact unfortunately in terms of helping⁴ these countries to cope with the high food prices, especially at the time when (there are) a lot of uncertainties⁵ in the fuel market. A lot of these countries also are also big importers of energy and fuels.”
No crystal ball
So what do 2011 prices mean for 2012? The FAO economist won’t make any official prediction.
“I wish I could. It is one thing we have learned (the) hard way is that especially with the food index, which has 55 commodities inside it, and given especially what’s happening and what we’re hearing every day about the world market and the different uncertainties, it is really next to impossible,” he said.
He says his personal view is that there will not be significant declines in food prices this year. He says more will be known in March and April when food production forecasts are made. Abbassian does say, though, that he does not foresee a repeat of the turmoil⁶ of the 2007/2008 food crisis.

1 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。

2 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

3 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

6 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。