亚洲粮食价格持续上涨

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says rising food prices in Asia are hurting the poor but have yet to reach a crisis level. The U.N. body says if the price of oil continues to increase the region’s food prices will follow suit.

联合国粮农组织说，亚洲粮食价格上涨让贫困人口受到严重冲击，但还没有形成粮食危机。如果石油价格继续上涨，亚洲的粮食价格也会进一步上涨。

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says in Asia food prices have been affected by rising costs but not as dramatically as in other regions.

The FAO says the retail price of rice, Asia’s major staple, rose in Bangladesh by 33 percent from last year and in China by 23 percent.

稻米是亚洲国家的主食。

But the region’s major rice producers, Thailand and Vietnam, are having good harvests that are expected to keep prices steady overall.

但亚洲地区主要产量国泰国和越南眼下的稻米收成不错，预计会让整个亚洲地区的稻米价格趋于稳定。

The FAO's representative for the Asia-Pacific region, Hiroyuki Konuma, says rising food costs in Asia are mainly affecting the region’s poor.

联合国粮农组织驻亚太地区代表小沼宏之(Hiroyuki Konuma)说，亚洲地区的贫困人口是粮价上涨的主要受害人。

"Many of poor people who are so poor, they spend 50 to 70 percent of their income for food. So, if [the] price increases by 30 percent 40 percent it severely affects their purchasing power for food. And then it results in chronic hunger," Konuma said.

他说：“很多贫困人口是如此贫困，以至于购买粮食要花去他们收入的50%到70%。所以，如果粮价上涨30%到40%，贫困人口购粮就存在严重问题，可能因此陷入长久的饥饿状况。”

Konuma says the region’s rice production is expected to increase by more than two percent this year while wheat production will decline about four percent.

小沼宏之说，亚洲地区的稻米产量今年预计增长2%，小麦产量将下降大约4%。

The FAO says world food prices hit a record high in February as the cost of oil was driven up by political instability in the Middle East and North Africa.

联合国粮农组织说，中东和北非地区的政治动荡促使油价上涨之后，世界粮食价格今年2月也创下新高。

Despite adequate supplies of rice, some Asian nations appear concerned that rising oil costs could eventually affect food supplies.

一些亚洲国家尽管大米供应充足，但似乎依然担心油价的持续升高会最终影响到粮食供给。

Reports say Burma in February halted all rice exports.

调查显示，缅甸今年2月暂停了稻米的出口。

Burma is not a major rice producer but the move indicates concerns that rice prices may rise as transportation costs increase.

缅甸不是稻米的主要生产国，暂停稻米出口显示，政府担心油价上涨会抬高运输价格，导致稻米价格上涨。

Konuma says the FAO is carefully monitoring oil prices for any affects on Asia.

小沼宏之说，联合国粮农组织正密切关注油价上涨对亚洲地区可能产生的影响。

"It's a bit premature to say, but if the oil price goes up to the level that happened in 2007, 2008, to $140, $150 per barrel, it will seriously affect the production costs of the food," Konuma added.

他说：“现在还为时过早，但如果油价上涨到每桶140美元到150美元，恢复到2007年和2008年的水平，就会严重影响粮食的生产成本。”

Food price increases in 2007 and 2008 led some countries in the region to stockpile food and temporarily ban grain exports.

2007年和2008年度粮食价格上涨导致亚洲一些国家囤积粮食，暂停粮食出口。

The FAO says while stockpiling emergency supplies is understandable, hoarding staples and banning exports only made the situation worse.

联合国粮农组织说，尽管可以理解增加紧急粮食存储的必要性，但囤积居奇，禁止出口，只会让局势进一步恶化。