極端天氣使小麥減產 英國農民望"糧"哀嘆
Wet autumn followed by cold spring has led to one of the smallest harvests in a generation, hitting food production.
據英國《衛報》6月13日報道，溼秋接着寒春的氣候導致小麥作物收成量達歷年最低，損害糧食產量。
The wettest autumn since records began,followed by the coldest spring in 50 years,has devastated British wheat, forcing foodmanufacturers to import nearly 2.5m tonnes of the crop.
有記錄以來的最潮溼的秋季之後，英國迎來了50年來最寒冷的春天，由此帶來的惡劣天氣嚴重地損害小麥生長，使食品製造商不得不從國外進口將近250萬噸作物。
"Normally we export around 2.5m tonnes of wheat but this year we expect to have to import 2.5m tonnes," said Charlotte Garbutt, a senior analyst at the industry-financed Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. "The crop that came through the winter has struggled and is patchy and variable. The area of wheat grown this year has been much smaller."
“在正常情況下，英國會有將近250萬噸的小麥出口量，但是今年卻要進口250萬噸”由行業資助的農業和園藝發展局（Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board）的高級分析師夏洛特·加布特（Charlotte Garbutt)說道，"經歷了一個寒冬的作物生長艱難，脆弱多變。今年的小麥產地面積變得更加少了。"
Analysts expect a harvest of 11m-12m tonnes, one of the smallest in a generation, after many farmers grubbed up their failing, waterlogged crops and replanted fields with barley. According to a National Farmers Unionpoll of 76 cereal growers covering 16,000 hectares, nearly 30% less wheat than usual is being grown in Britain this year.
分析師預計，在農民剷掉生長失敗的麥種以及受澇的作物，重新移植麥種後，今年的小麥的收成量會有1100萬到1200萬噸，是十年來最少的一次。根據一份全國農民聯盟（National Farmers Union）對來自1.6萬公頃種植地的76名谷種植者所作的調查顯示，今年英國的小麥種植少了將近30%。
Britain is usually the EU's third biggest wheat grower but it will be a net importer for the first time in 11 years. "Our poll is a snapshot but it is extremely worrying. If this plays out nationally, we will be below average production for the second year in a row," said NFU crops chair Andrew Watts. "If the experts are to be believed and extreme weatheris to become more frequent, we must look at ways of supporting the industry."
英國一直以來都是歐盟的第三大小麥種植國，但是，在未來11年間，英國將首次成爲小麥的淨進口國。“雖然我們的調查得出的只是初步的結果，但這也令人十分擔憂，”全國農民聯盟作物主席安德魯·華茲(Andrew Watts)說：“若專家們的話是正確的，而這種極端惡劣天氣又頻繁出現的話，我們必須要找到方法來拯救我們的產業。”The diminished wheat harvest will add to growing concerns about the amount of food that British farmers can grow per hectare. According to a new analysis by the development board, UK wheat and oilseed rape yields have barely improved since the 1980s, despite genetic developments and better fertilisers. No one reason is given but severe and fluctuating weather is thought to have played a part.
小麥的減產也增加了英國農民的擔憂：每公頃的田地可以多產糧食。根據發展委員會的一份最新分析，儘管20世紀80年代以來基因技術有了一定發展，施肥技術有所進步，但是英國的麥田和油菜田沒有得到什麼改善。具體原因並不清楚，但是可以確定的是惡劣多變的天氣是其中一個原因。
Other crops have been badly damaged by the past year's severe weather. Oilseed rape and oats have suffered, and sugar beet, which is grown on 125,000 hectares mainly in eastern England, has been hit by a mystery condition that has stopped seeds germinating and has cut production by 50% in some areas. "The weather has definitely had an impact. The affected crops were sown in the very cold weather," said Mark Stevens, a scientist with the British Beet Research Orgaanisation.
其它的作物也在去年遭到惡劣天氣的嚴重破壞。油菜和燕麥都未能倖免於難，而主要生長在英格蘭東部種植面積有12.5萬公頃的甜菜也無故停止發芽，一些地區還減產50%。英國甜菜科研組織科學家馬克·史提芬（Mark Stevens)說："天氣肯定對此造成了影響。受影響的作物都是在寒冷的冬天種下的。”
The severe weather has also led to one of the latest fruit harvests in years. Major varieties of apple, including cox, are not expected to be in the shops until late September, said Adrian Barlow, chief executive of the trade body English Apples &Pears. "We don't yet know the long-term consequences of the winter. We have extremely cold weather which was good, but we have had trees with their feet in water for months and extremely windy conditions. But we are hopeful of a better harvest than last year."
極端的天氣導致了水果的收成時間遇到幾年來最晚的一次。英國蘋果雪梨貿易司（English Apples&Pears）的首席執行官艾德里安·巴羅( Adrian Barlow)稱，各類蘋果，包括考可斯蘋果，將在9月份下旬纔會上架。他說：“我們仍然不知冬天會帶來什麼長遠的影響。寒冷的天氣對於果樹的生長是很不錯，但是果樹的根都泡在水中幾個月了，而且它們還生長在極度嚴寒的天氣中。不管怎樣，我們都期待比上一年有更好的收成。”
However, the long winter could make for a succulent soft fruit crop, according to Harry Hall, Britain's biggest strawberry grower. "The crop is around three weeks later than average but the fruit has had extra time to grow so the quality is really good," said Hall, who expects to sell 7,700 tonnes this year.
然而，英國最大的草莓種植者哈里·侯爾(Harry Hall )認爲，漫長的冬天可以種植出多汁柔軟的水果作物。他說：“作物一般在遲於平均收成期的三個星期內收成，而水果則有更長的時間成熟，質量定會很好。”侯爾希望能在今年售出7700噸草莓。Food prices are unlikely to rise significantly as a result of the poor British harvests, because these are determined by international trade. However, cereal food producer Weetabix had to halt productionof some of its breakfast cereals as a result of the disastrous wheat harvest in April.
由於慘淡的糧食收成，英國的食品價格不可能有太大的增長，這也是由國際貿易決定的。但是，由於4月份的小麥的慘淡收成，穀類食品生產商維他麥不得不停止生產某些穀類早餐食品。
The full impact of the hard winter is only now being seen, according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Its latest analysis says the total income from farming decreased by ㏒737min 2012 to ㏒4.7bn, with farmers facing both crop losses and higher costs to feed their animals.
環境部和食品與農務部（Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs）表示，嚴冬帶來的影響還不止這些。根據其最新的調查，農業總收入在2012年爲47億英磅，減少了7.37億英磅。農民們不僅要遭受作物減產帶來的損失，而且還得花更多的錢購買飼料來餵養牲畜。
Earlier this year the British Agriculture Bureau said flooding in the UK had caused ㏒1.3bn in damage in 2012.
今年年初，英國農業局（British Agriculture Bureau）稱，英國的洪澇災害致使在2012年遭受13億的損失。
This week, the UN and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that environmental factors such as droughts, bad harvests and lack of land were likely to limit the growth of global food output. Agricultural production is expected to grow 1.5% a year on average over the coming decade, compared with annual growth of 2.1% between 2003 and 2012. Another widespread drought like the one experienced last year in the US and elsewhere could raise crop prices by 15%-40%, it said.
本週，來自聯合國和經濟合作和發展組織（Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development）的報道稱，一些環境因素，諸如旱災、減產和土地流失很有可能會制約全球糧食產量的增長。在未來的十年中，農業產量的預期年均增長率爲1.5%，而2003年到2012年的產量年均增長爲2.1%。報道還稱，像去年發生在美國以及其他地區的影響廣泛的旱災會使得作物價格增長15%-40%。
