◎陳成良
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO)revised down its global rice forecast for 2012 on Monday due to low monsoon rainfall in India, but said world output should still be greater than in 2011.
聯合國糧農組織(FAO)基於印度季風降雨量減少,週一下修2012年全球稻米產量預測,但表示全球產量應仍會高於2011年。
The 2012 forecast has been revised down by 7.8 million tonnes "due to a 22-percent lower-than-average monsoon rainfall in India through mid-July, which is likely to reduce output in the country this season," the Rome-based FAO said.
總部設於羅馬的FAO說,2012年稻米產量預測已下修780萬公噸,「原因是印度7月中的季風降雨量比平均低22%,這可能會讓印度本季的產量降低」。
Production forecasts have also been reduced for Cambodia, Taiwan, North and South Korea, and Nepal, according to the July 2012 issue of the Rice Market Monitor, which was published by the food agency on Monday.
根據FAO週一發布的2012年7月版「稻米市場監測」報告,柬埔寨、台灣、北韓、南韓與尼泊爾的產量預測也一併調降。
However, world output is still expected to surpass "the excellent results achieved in 2011," with production forecast to total 724.5 million tonnes.
然而,全球產量預料仍將超越「2011年達成的卓越結果」,產量預計總共將達到7億2450萬公噸。