VOA慢速英语2015 亚洲中产阶层改变了小麦制品需求

AS IT IS 2015-04-06 Asia's Middle Class Changes Demand for Wheat Grain 亚洲中产阶层改变了小麦制品需求

Asia’s growing middle-class population is changing its diet from the traditional bowl of rice to more Western-style food. The change in taste increases demand for more grains, especially wheat-based foods.

Countries such as Australia and the United States have gained from the increase in demand for wheat. But the increase poses a challenge for the global food industry in the years ahead to meet the demand.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says by 2030 two-thirds of the global middle class, or 3.3 billion people, will live in Asia.

Greg Harvey is managing director of the Interflour Group in Singapore. He says, "when you have a growing middle-class population with high disposable income, the demand for grain-based food products, more red meat protein and dairy products grow.”

In Indonesia, the fastest-growing segment of food is bread. China is importing more barley¹ for beer production and feed grain for the meat industry.

Nick Reitmeier is vice² president at Thailand's Central Food Retail³ group. He says the change is apparent in malls and supermarkets where more people ask for “Westernized food.”

"Bread is one of the key factors here. We're selling a lot of sourdough bread today. And most Asian people have really liked the taste of it in the bakery, so even specialty⁴ bread where they use different flour like from Austria, purple wheat flour, Japanese flour, you know, there's a huge demand for flour as well as bread mixes."

In its annual forecast released in March, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) says Australia's grain and oilseed production will rise over the next five years from 24 million tons to over 42 million.

Despite the growth, wheat traders say Australia will not meet the rising demand. That leaves the way open for increased sales from the United States, Canada and the Black Sea region into Asia.

Ron Storey is a consultant⁵ with Australian Crop Forecasters. He says changing food tastes is driving the demand.

"That shift, if you like, from the bowl of rice across to chicken and pork and more dairy products is what's happening and that seems to be what's driving the demand. One of the real questions, I think, from a supply side, is the capacity of the different origins of grain production to be able to meet that demand over the next 10- to 20-year period."

Words in This Story

segment – n. one of the parts into which something can be divided

forecast – n. a statement about what you think is going to happen in the future

capacity – n. the ability to do something

1 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

5 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。