这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
The United Nations is expecting the world to harvest more rice in twenty twelve than was produced last year. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization says the world rice harvest should rise almost two percent, mainly because of increased production in Asia. Large gains are expected for Bangladesh, Burma, China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand.
联合国预计2012年稻米产量会高于去年。联合国粮农组织表示，全球稻米产量将上升近两个百分点，这主要是由于亚洲稻米产量的增加。预计孟加拉国、缅甸、中国、印度、巴基斯坦、菲律宾和泰国将会大丰收。
The FAO also is predicting a recovery for rice harvests in Africa. It expects increased production from Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.
粮农组织还预测非洲稻米产量会复苏。该组织预计马里、尼日利亚和塞内加尔的稻米产量会有所增加。
But the UN agency says harvests will be lower in the European Union and the United States. Two reasons for this are unusually dry weather and falling rice prices, which have led some farmers to plant other crops. Smaller rice harvests also are expected in Latin America and the Caribbean.
但是该联合国机构表示，欧盟和美国产量会有所降低。这有两方面的原因，一是天气异常干燥，二是稻米价格下跌导致一些农民改种其它作物。预计拉丁美洲和加勒比地区稻米产量也会下降。
Concepcion Calpe is an economist with the FAO. She says good harvests in Asia will lead to reduced demand for rice this year. Demand is expected to fall nine hundred thousand tons to about thirty-four million metric tons.
粮农组织经济学家康塞普西翁·卡尔贝(Concepcion Calpe)表示，亚洲的好收成将会导致今年稻米需求减少。预计稻米需求将下降90万吨，到3400万吨。
Ms. Calpe says one reason for the expected drop is better than expected production by some major importers, like Indonesia and Bangladesh. Other countries have set limits on how much rice they are willing to import.
卡尔贝女士表示，稻米需求预期下降的原因之一，是一些稻米主要进口国的国内预期产量有所提高，像印度尼西亚和孟加拉国。另一些国家已经设定了稻米进口限额。
The FAO says rice prices have stayed high for many reasons. They include higher costs for fuel, fertilizer and, in some areas, labor. One country where rice prices remain high is China. Concepcion Calpe says the high prices appear to be in disagreement with official Chinese reports of record harvests.
粮农组织称，稻米价格维持高位的原因有很多，包括燃料、化肥及部分地区劳动力成本的提高。中国是稻米价格维持高位的国家之一。卡尔贝女士说，稻米高价似乎与中国官方报告的创纪录收成存在分歧。
In Thailand, a government price-support program has led rice exports to fall by twenty percent, to less than eight million tons. The program keeps Thai rice export prices above market prices. As a result, the FAO says, exporters like Australia, India and Vietnam have captured a larger market share.
在泰国，一个政府价格支持方案导致粮食出口量下降20%到少于800万吨。该方案使得泰国稻米出口价格高于市场价格。因此粮农组织表示，像澳大利亚、印度和越南等出口国已经抢占更大市场份额。
Ms. Calpe notes that Burma could become a major exporter of rice. Many Western governments have eased trade restrictions on Burma recently because of its efforts at political and economic reform. Foreign investment and increased productivity in Cambodia also might help that country export more rice.
卡尔贝女士指出，缅甸可能会成为一个主要稻米出口国。由于缅甸在政治和经济改革上的努力，许多西方国家最近放宽了对缅甸的贸易限制。柬埔寨外国投资和生产力的提高也可能有助于该国出口更多稻米。
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