VOA慢速英語: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(nóng)業(yè)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.

肯尼亞官員正在設法對付一種攻擊玉米作物的致命疾病。一些肯尼亞農(nóng)民表示，這種疾病已經(jīng)使作物產(chǎn)量減產(chǎn)高達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，博美特(Bomet)地區(qū)的農(nóng)民報告稱，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”，它會讓作物變黃干枯。到了一月，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，這種疾病蔓延到該國南部，并進入到肯尼亞中東部。

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(lián)合國糧農(nóng)組織一名種植業(yè)官員。他表示，7月份的一份研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，玉米致命壞死已經(jīng)影響了超過6.4萬公頃土地。高達80%的作物被摧毀。這名糧農(nóng)組織官員警告說，如果不加控制，這種疾病會對肯尼亞的玉米產(chǎn)量產(chǎn)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(nóng)業(yè)研究所的一名研究人員。他與其他同事正致力于對付這種疾病。但他表示沒有任何已知辦法可以對付它。

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."

KASINA：“問題是，我們對肯尼亞的這種疾病沒有任何經(jīng)驗。所以對我來說，我完全不知道未來會發(fā)生什么。”

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(diào)查這種玉米致命壞死是由昆蟲還是種子傳播。知道原因后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(nóng)組織的Paul Omanga表示，他和其他人正向農(nóng)民宣傳輪作的重要性。但他表示，如果農(nóng)民懷疑其作物已經(jīng)被疾病感染，他們就必須采取更加極端的行動。

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：“另一點就是要確認毀掉被感染農(nóng)田的所有作物。你甚至可以燒掉它們，或用作牲畜飼料。莖和葉可以用來做牲畜飼料。但不能把這些被感染的作物留在地里，因為病毒將會繼續(xù)感染其它作物。”

Paul Omanga says he is concerned about Kenya's food stability.

Paul Omanga表示，他對肯尼亞的糧食安全非常擔心。

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：“這會引發(fā)一些擔憂，因為玉米是主食，在肯尼亞，對玉米產(chǎn)量的任何威脅就是對糧食安全的威脅。”

America's Agency for International Development says the poorest Kenyans spend twenty-eight percent of what they earn on maize.

美國國際開發(fā)署表示，肯尼亞最貧窮的人口要花費28%的收入在玉米上。