[ti:As Lunar New Year Holiday Nears, Less Pork in China] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Many Asian countries are making final preparations for Lunar New Year celebrations. [00:09.24]In China, the Lunar New Year holiday will begin this Friday, January 24. [00:17.88]Under the country's traditional zodiac system, the next 12 months will be known as the Year of the Rat. [00:28.00]Food is an important part of the yearly celebration, [00:32.68]and pork -- the meat from pigs -- is central to many Lunar New Year meals. [00:40.92]But this year could be different in China because of African swine fever virus, also known as African swine flu. [00:53.32]The disease, which affects farm animals, has led to the loss of huge numbers of pigs on Chinese farms. [01:04.72]Swine flu has affected the country's meat industry in a big way. [01:11.96]Official records released last week showed that pork production fell by 21 percent over the past year. [01:22.80]In addition, the agriculture ministry reported that the number of pigs kept at Chinese farms had fallen by 40 percent by October. [01:38.16]As a result, pork prices all over the country have increased by about 200 percent because of a shortage. [01:50.16]The high price of pork has added to inflation, which has now reached an eight-year high. [01:59.64]A Reuters news agency reporter spoke to Xu, a woman from central China. [02:08.56]Her family lost their herd of pigs to swine flu. [02:14.44]Now, she is sharply cutting back on her use of pork for the holiday. [02:22.68]"Pork just costs too much. People can't bear the price." [02:29.92]China's government has provided more the 200,000 tons of frozen pork since December [02:39.24]to increase supplies for the Lunar New Year holiday. [02:44.68]The country also imported 375,000 tons in December – a record amount. [02:55.84]During the winter months, traditional cured pork products such as la rou are very popular. [03:05.44]But this season, la rou sellers are reporting slow sales and fewer people looking to buy. [03:16.32]Zhang Sheng has sold cured pork in a market in the city of Guiyang for the past five years. [03:26.84]"This year, pork is very expensive so individual customers are buying less (la rou)," Zhang said. [03:38.00]In Shanghai, four cured pork makers told Reuters that their businesses are suffering [03:46.20]because of price increases between 20 and 30 percent. [03:53.28]"I imagine many people will be having more chicken and duck this New Year," one seller said. [04:03.16]I'm Mario Ritter Jr. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM