VOA慢速英语2022--化肥价格上涨人们转而“瞄准”动物粪便

Animal Waste in Demand as Fertilizer Prices Rise

The war in Ukraine is causing a rise in oil and wheat prices. Other items are hard to come by due to international restrictions¹ on doing business with Russia. For example, many countries are seeing less fish than usual, because Russia usually catches and sells a lot of fish.

However, one item you may not think of that often is harder to find than normal. That is the crop-growing aid known as fertilizer.

Fertilizer is added to soil and provides plants such as wheat and corn with nutrients² so they can grow. But some of the chemicals used to make fertilizer, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, require a lot of energy. As energy sources like gas, oil and coal get more expensive, so does fertilizer.

Why a fertilizer shortage³?

The Dutch bank Rabobank said 40 percent of the world's supply of potash, or potassium chloride, comes from Russia and Belarus. Potash is an important fertilizer ingredient, and it is not as available as usual.

A company that follows fertilizer in London, CRU Group, said nitrogen-based fertilizer is four times more expensive than it was in 2020. Fertilizer made from phosphate and potash has gotten three times more expensive.

As a result, farmers are more interested than before in using animal waste, sometimes called manure⁴, as fertilizer. The animal waste has some of those nutrients and can be used by farmers to make their soil healthier.

Farmers that raise livestock⁵ such as cows and pigs normally have to pay to get manure removed from their land. However, due to the high cost of fertilizer, people are paying the farmers to pick it up.

"Manure is absolutely a hot commodity⁶," said Allen Kampschnieder, a farming consultant⁷. There are long lists of farmers waiting for manure deliveries.

Farm equipment sales rise

The need for manure is also helping⁸ people who make farm equipment that helps dry and spread manure. The spreaders are called "honeywagons."

Phinite is a company based in North Carolina that makes manure dryers⁹. The dryers take the water out of the waste and make it easier to spread. Phinite said it has gotten calls for its equipment from farmers in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.

One company in Canada, Husky Farm Equipment, makes honeywagons. Some of them can cost $70,000. The company's president, Walter Grose, says they are sold out for six months.

Other companies that make similar products said they are selling more than normal.

Abe Sandquist says he has worked for much of his career to sell manure to farmers. Now, he doesn't have enough. "I wish we had more to sell," he said, "but there's not enough to meet the demand."

In the U.S., high fertilizer costs will likely cause farmers to plant fewer crops. The government notes the amount of wheat stored in the U.S. is at its lowest in 14 years.

Some concerns

The manure will be able to replace some of the fertilizer, but it is not risk-free. First, there is not enough supply. Second, it is costly¹⁰ to transport. And third, there are environmental concerns about manure. Experts believe the manure can make water unhealthy.

As a result, it is hard for farmers that raise pigs and cows to easily get into the manure business.

Jim Monroe is a spokesperson for a large company that raises pigs. He said more farmers are thinking about using manure to help grow crops.

Dale Cramer is unsure about what he will do. He grows corn, soybeans and wheat in the Midwestern U.S. state of Nebraska. He has been trying to get manure for his 2,400 hectares of land. So far, he has not found any.

Kampschnieder said manure prices are almost 100 percent higher than usual.

Pat Reisinger is a farmer in Iowa. He said he is glad he raises animals, because he can use their manure for his corn and soybeans. He is also able to sell a little to his neighbors.

Farm economy changes

Reisinger, however, is unique. In recent years, farms like his are less common.

Instead, certain regions in the U.S. are known for producing items like eggs, milk and meat. That is where the most manure can be found. However, some of those regions are far away from the areas that need the animal waste. As a result, some parts of the U.S. have too much manure and others do not have enough.

Brett Reinford of Pennsylvania raises cows that produce milk. Last year, he told other farmers they could take his manure. No one wanted it. Now he has something valuable.

"I wish we had more," he said.

Words in This Story

ingredient –n. one of the things used to make a food product

expensive – adj. costing a lot of money

livestock – n. animals raised to be used by people for food

consultant – n. a person who gives professional advice for a fee

commodity – n. something bought and sold

unique – n. something different or unlike anything else

region – adj. a part of a country or of the world that is different than another part

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

4 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

5 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

6 commodity   

n.日用品，商品，物品

参考例句：

• The authorities took measures to roll commodity price back.当局采取措施使物价全面回降。
• Commodity prices remain stable and there are plenty of goods on the market.商品价格稳定，市场货源充足。

7 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。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 dryers   

n.干燥机( dryer的名词复数 )；干燥器；干燥剂；干燥工

参考例句：

• Men also have hair dryers and, if they suffer from baldness, they use a growth stimulator, buy hairpieces, or have hair transplanted from the hirsute part of the scalp to the bare areas. 男士也有他们的吹风机，而且如果他们秃顶的话，还会用毛发生长剂、买假发，或者把头发从密集的地方移植到谢顶的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dryers can be automated. 干燥机可以自动化作业。 来自辞典例句

10 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。