[ti:Poor Suffer as Food Prices Likely to Stay High] [ar:Bob Doughty] [al:Agriculture Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. [00:05.01]There are growing concerns about food insecurity [00:09.49]in the developing world. [00:12.18]Rising food prices, weather emergencies [00:15.81]and political problems are deepening [00:19.00]the struggle of families in many countries. [00:22.63]Three United Nations agencies [00:25.77]published a report last week [00:28.15]before Sunday's observance of World Food Day. [00:32.59]This year's "State of Food Insecurity in the World" report [00:39.25]say shigh prices are likely to continue. [00:43.19]Gregory Barrow is with the World Food Program in Rome. [00:48.79]GREGORY BARROW: "If you look at the places [00:50.14]where World Food Program works [00:51.63]particularly in developing countries, [00:53.37]you see populations of people [00:55.86]who might be spending sixty, seventy, [00:58.60]eighty percent of their salaries [01:00.24]on purchasing food for their families." [01:02.98]The report says even short-term price increases [01:07.36]can have a long-term effect. [01:10.25]Reducing nutritious food early in a child's life [01:14.82]can affect mental and physical development [01:18.81]and limit future earnings. [01:21.20]East Africa is suffering its worst drought in years. [01:26.04]In Kenya, at least three and a half million people [01:31.28]are going hungry, mostly in the north. [01:35.01]Yet food is going to waste in central Kenya. [01:39.64]Now, farmers there want the government [01:43.67]to buy their food and get it to those in need. [01:48.00]Farmers say bad roads and a lack of transportation [01:53.63]make it difficult for them [01:56.02]to get their produce to market. [01:58.01]Storage is another problem. [02:01.45]And they complain about a big drop in food prices. [02:05.68]Nahashon Gitau farms almost three hectares [02:10.61]about a ninety-minute drive from Nairobi. [02:13.95]He says he regrets that he wastes [02:17.33]at least twenty-five percent of his harvest [02:20.72]while other Kenyans are hungry. [02:23.46]NAHASHON GITAU: "It is for the government [02:24.90]to make some arrangements -- perhaps even give transport. [02:28.40]Then, they can buy it at a good price, [02:30.74]then give it to those people [02:32.28]instead of asking for food from overseas, [02:34.22]which is very bad. [02:35.51]When we are throwing away food, [02:37.31]they are asking for food from overseas." [02:39.25]Economists say the imports reduce local food prices, [02:44.18]decrease productivity [02:47.34]and increase dependency among the people. [02:50.53]Mr. Gitau says if he could receive higher prices [02:55.81]for his crops, he could feed more Kenyans. [02:59.14]NAHASHON GITAU: "From my farm, [03:00.19]I would perhaps sell every season, [03:01.93]say, one hundred bags of potatoes, [03:04.07]and perhaps ten thousand heads of cabbages, [03:07.76]say, three times in a year. [03:09.30]I can manage that product. [03:10.50]And I have got some other farmers [03:12.49]who can do even better than me." [03:13.98]Kinangop District officer Peninnih Dzombo [03:18.06]explained why local governments have not taken action. [03:21.84]PENINNIH DZOMBO: "In our department, [03:22.79]in most cases we usually work through reports and all that. [03:25.68]So it depends on who will read the report. [03:28.31]But we have not made the effort to have it [03:31.45]like a priority that we want A, B, C, D addressed." [03:35.43]Ms. Dzombo says her office does not get enough money [03:39.96]from the central government to improve roads [03:43.59]and take other steps to help farmers reach markets. [03:47.57]And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. [03:53.35]I'm Bob Doughty.