【Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya】
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道 。
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.
肯尼亚官员正努力对付一种损害玉米作物的致命疾病 。一些肯尼亚农民称这种疾病已使作物产量降低了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的农民称一种疾病毁灭了他们的玉米 。这种疾病被称为“玉米致命坏死”,作物会变黄干枯 。截止1月份,研究者发现这种疾病蔓延到该国的南部、中部和肯尼亚东部 。
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是联合国粮农组织作物产量官员,他说7月份的一份研究发现,玉米致命坏死已影响了6.4万多公顷的作物,高达80%的玉米都被毁了 。这位粮农官员警告说,如果这种疾病得不到控制,就会对肯尼亚的玉米生产产生重大影响 。
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是肯尼亚农业研究所研究员,他正与其他同事努力对付这场病害 。但他说,目前还没有治疗的办法 。
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:“问题是,肯尼亚根本没有对付这种疾病的经验,所以对我来说,我根本不知道以后会遇到什么情况 。”
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.
研究人员正在调查,看玉米致命坏死是由害虫还是在种子里传播的 。如果能探明这个原因,他们可能就能更好地对付它 。
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.
粮农组织的Paul Omanga说,他和同事正在向农民宣传作物轮种的重要性 。不过他说,如果农民怀疑自己的作物已经感染到这种疾病,就必须采取极端行动 。
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:“另一点就是,要毁掉受感染农田的所有作物 。甚至可以烧毁,给牲畜做饲料用 。茎叶可以用来喂牲畜 。但不能把这些受感染的作物留在农田里,因为病毒会留下来感染其他作物 。”
Paul Omanga says he is concerned about Kenya’s food stability.
Paul Omanga说他很担心肯尼亚的粮食安全 。
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:“这令人担忧,因为玉米是主食,对玉米产量的任何威胁都是对肯尼亚粮食安全的威胁 。”
America’s Agency for International Development says the poorest Kenyans spend twenty-eight percent of what they earn on maize.
美国国际发展机构称肯尼亚最贫困的人28%的收入都用在买玉米上 。