【Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya】
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
這里是美國之音慢速英語農業報道 。
Officials in Kenya are attempting to deal with a deadly disease attacking maize crops. Some Kenyan farmers say the disease has reduced crop production by as much as sixty percent.
肯尼亞官員正努力對付一種損害玉米作物的致命疾病 。一些肯尼亞農民稱這種疾病已使作物產量降低了60% 。
Last September, farmers in Bomet reported that a disease was destroying their maize or corn. The disease is called “maize lethal necrosis.” It makes the plant turn yellow and dry up. By January, researchers found that the disease was spreading across the country’s south and into central and eastern Kenya.
去年九月,Bomet的農民稱一種疾病毀滅了他們的玉米 。這種疾病被稱為“玉米致命壞死”,作物會變黃干枯 。截止1月份,研究者發現這種疾病蔓延到該國的南部、中部和肯尼亞東部 。
Paul Omanga is a crop production officer with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. He says a study in July found that maize lethal necrosis had affected more than sixty-four thousand hectares. Up to eighty percent of the crop was ruined. The FAO official warned that if the disease is not controlled, it would have a major effect on maize production in Kenya.
Paul Omanga是聯合國糧農組織作物產量官員,他說7月份的一份研究發現,玉米致命壞死已影響了6.4萬多公頃的作物,高達80%的玉米都被毀了 。這位糧農官員警告說,如果這種疾病得不到控制,就會對肯尼亞的玉米生產產生重大影響 。
Muo Kasina is a researcher with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. He is working with others to fight the disease. But he says there is no known way to treat it.
Muo Kasina是肯尼亞農業研究所研究員,他正與其他同事努力對付這場病害 。但他說,目前還沒有治療的辦法 。
KASINA: “The problem is we do not have the experience at all with this disease in Kenya. So for me, I really have no idea at all what I expect to see in the future.”
Muo Kasina:“問題是,肯尼亞根本沒有對付這種疾病的經驗,所以對我來說,我根本不知道以后會遇到什么情況 。”
Researchers are investigating whether maize lethal necrosis is spread by insects or in seeds. When they know that, they may be better able to fight it.
研究人員正在調查,看玉米致命壞死是由害蟲還是在種子里傳播的 。如果能探明這個原因,他們可能就能更好地對付它 。
The FAO’s Paul Omanga says he and others are telling farmers about the importance of crop rotation. But he says farmers must take more extreme action if they suspect the disease has infected their crops.
糧農組織的Paul Omanga說,他和同事正在向農民宣傳作物輪種的重要性 。不過他說,如果農民懷疑自己的作物已經感染到這種疾病,就必須采取極端行動 。
PAUL OMANGA: “Another one is ensuring that, in affected fields, you destroy all the plants. You can even burn them or make fodder for livestock. The stems, the leaves, you make fodder for livestock. But you should not leave those affected plants to stay in the field because the virus will remain in that to infect another crop.”
Paul Omanga:“另一點就是,要毀掉受感染農田的所有作物 。甚至可以燒毀,給牲畜做飼料用 。莖葉可以用來喂牲畜 。但不能把這些受感染的作物留在農田里,因為病毒會留下來感染其他作物 。”
Paul Omanga says he is concerned about Kenya’s food stability.
Paul Omanga說他很擔心肯尼亞的糧食安全 。
OMANGA: “This is causing some concern because maize is the staple food and any threat to maize production is a threat to food security in Kenya.”
Omanga:“這令人擔憂,因為玉米是主食,對玉米產量的任何威脅都是對肯尼亞糧食安全的威脅 。”
America’s Agency for International Development says the poorest Kenyans spend twenty-eight percent of what they earn on maize.
美國國際發展機構稱肯尼亞最貧困的人28%的收入都用在買玉米上 。