VOA慢速英语2014 受价格低因素的影响,肯尼亚农民转向种植紫茶

 

AS IT IS 2014-11-13 Low Prices Cause Kenyan Farmers to Change Tea Crop 受价格低因素的影响,肯尼亚农民转向种植紫茶

Tea farmers in Kenya are suffering because of low prices for their crop this year. So they have exchanged their tea bushes for a healthy new “purple tea” that they hope will sell for a higher price. But there may not be a demand for the new kind of tea.

Agricultural workers in green tea fields near Mt. Kenya are gathering¹ the tea leaves. It is beautiful to see. The rows of tea bushes are straight. All appears to be well. But the farmers who planted the bushes are worried. Nelson Kibara is one of them. He has been growing tea in the Kerugoya area for 40 years.

He says the prices this year have been so low that he has made almost no profit. He says he must grow different kinds of tea if he is to survive.

Mr. Kibara and hundreds of other farmers have been removing some of their tea bushes and planting a new kind of tea developed by the Tea Research Foundation² of Kenya. Its leaves are purple and brown. When the tea is boiled, the drink has a purple color. Medical researchers have studied the health benefits of the new tea. They say it is healthier than black tea and could be sold for a price that is three to four times higher than the price of black tea.

But Mr. Kibara says he has not received a higher price for his purple tea crop.

He says the market for the tea is unstable³ and he is often forced to sell his purple tea for the same price as green tea leaves. He says there are not enough buyers willing to pay more for the purple tea than black tea.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency⁴ represents small farmers. It says farmers have planted purple tea before a market has been created for it. Vincent Mwingirwa works⁵ at the agency.

“What has happened is that purple tea has been developed for the farm. Unfortunately, there was not concurrent⁶ research on the market for purple tea. So we are now in a scenario⁷ where some of our farmers have planted purple tea, but they don’t know where to take it.”

Stephen Mutembei works at the Tea Research Foundation. He says farmers quickly changed from growing black tea to growing purple tea. But he also blames tea leave processors for not making changes more quickly.

“There are mixed feelings, I can say that. The processing techniques have been slow. They have not come up with the specialty⁸ factories, which can now be used to process the purple tea as a now a special product. The farmers are not very happy about that.”

But Mr. Mutembei says purple tea is an important crop for the country and its tea farmers. He says Kenya needs to find new products like purple tea to help its tea industry become more stable. Tea is the country’s top crop. Mr. Mutembei says the country’s economy is too closely⁹ linked to the changing price of black tea. He says tea buyers and drinkers must be persuaded that they should pay more for purple tea than black tea.

“Because farmers, they have planted already, you cannot tell them to uproot¹⁰. At this level we should not just say ‘we don’t have a market’ forever. We should be doing something to find a, a good market.”

Mr. Kibara says he will continue growing purple tea plants for now. But if the market does not improve, he will plant cabbages next year.

Words in this Story

suffering – n. pain that is caused by injury, illness or loss; physical, mental, or emotional¹¹ pain

demand – n. the ability and need or desire to buy goods and services

boil – v. to cook (something) in water that is boiling; to heat (a liquid or a container with liquid in it) so that bubbles¹² are formed and rise to the top

benefits – n. a good or helpful result or effect

unstable – adj. not stable, such as likely to change

market – n. the amount of need and desire that people have for a product or service; used to describe how many people want to buy something

persuade – v. to cause (someone) to believe something

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

3 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

4 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 concurrent   

adj.同时发生的，一致的

参考例句：

• You can't attend two concurrent events!你不能同时参加两项活动！
• The twins had concurrent birthday. 双胞胎生日在同一天。

7 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

8 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。

9 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

10 uproot   

v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开

参考例句：

• The family decided to uproot themselves and emigrate to Australia.他们全家决定离开故土，移居澳大利亚。
• The trunk of an elephant is powerful enough to uproot trees.大象的长鼻强壮得足以将树木连根拔起。

11 emotional   

adj.令人动情的；易动感情的；感情(上)的

参考例句：

• Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
• This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。

12 bubbles   

泡( bubble的名词复数 )； 泡影； 肥皂泡； （欲表达的）一点感情

参考例句：

• Bubbles are rising from the bottom of the boiling water. 水泡从沸水的底部升到水面。
• The incorporation of air bubbles in the glass spoiled it. 玻璃含有气泡，使它质量降低。