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Some of Britain's fruit growers are reducing their production because it is too costly to grow their crops.
由于种植作物的成本太高，英国的一些果农正在减少种植面积。
James Smith's family has grown apples on a farm in southeastern England since 1882.
自1882年以来，詹姆斯·史密斯一家就在英格兰东南部的一个农场种植苹果。
But now Smith is tearing down his fields of apple trees.
但现在史密斯正在拔掉他的苹果树。
Smith's farm is in Kent.
史密斯的农场在肯特郡。
The area became known as the "Garden of England" hundreds of years ago partly because of its apples.
数百年前，该地区因苹果而被称为“英格兰花园”。
But the crop is no longer profitable for Smith.
但对史密斯来说，这种作物不再有利可图。
"I don't really want to get rid of all of my fruit, but I simply cannot see a way of overcoming all of the challenges," Smith said.
史密斯说：“我并不是真的想拔掉我所有的果树，但我找不到克服所有挑战的方法。”
Red apple sales to large food stores, or supermarkets, have not been profitable for years, he said.
他说，卖给大型食品店或超市的红苹果已经多年没有盈利了。
Weather and worker shortages are all problems.
天气和工人短缺都是问题。
Inflation over the last year brought the situation to a crisis.
去年的通货膨胀使这种情况陷入危机。
For 2022's crop to break even, Smith said, he needed supermarkets to pay him 20 percent more than a year earlier for each wooden crate of apples.
史密斯说，为了使2022年的收成达到收支平衡，他需要超市为每木箱苹果支付比上一年高出20%的价格。
But supermarkets offered 0.8 percent more.
但超市给的价格只高出0.8%。
The offer was the last in a series of unpleasant events for Smith.
对于史密斯来说，这个报价是一系列不愉快事件中最不愉快的事情。
"If I stop growing fruit I can make money," he said, explaining his plans to diversify away from apples by turning to livestock, a vineyard and a farm shop.
“如果我停止种植水果，我就能赚钱，”他解释道，他计划从种植苹果转向养家畜、种植葡萄园和开农场商店来实现多元化。
The government says Britain's fruit production has been decreasing since 2015.
英国政府表示，自2015年以来，英国的水果产量一直在下降。
It was down 12 percent in 2021 from the year earlier.
2021年，同比下降12%。
Britain imports about 85 percent of its fruit.
英国大约85%的水果是进口的。
Supermarkets say they need to hold prices down because of the increase in the general cost of living.
超市表示，由于总体生活成本上升，他们需要压低价格。
Food price inflation stood at a record level of 17.5 percent, the most recent industry data for March suggests.
3月份的最新行业数据显示，食品价格通胀率达到了17.5%的创纪录水平。
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is an industry group that represents supermarkets.
英国零售联盟是一个代表超市的行业组织。
The BRC said its members get the majority of their food from Britain.
英国零售联盟表示，其大部分成员的食品来自英国。
The BRC added that supermarkets know they need to pay farmers a price that will permit continued food production.
英国零售联盟补充说，超市知道他们需要给农民出一个允许其继续生产食品的价格。
BRC's Director of Food & Sustainability Andrew Opie said, "Given the pressure on British farmers at the moment, retailers are paying more for their produce."
英国零售联盟的食品与可持续发展总监安德鲁·奥佩说：“考虑到英国农民目前面临的压力，零售商会为他们的农产品支付更高的价格。”
Smith said he has supplied all the big supermarkets over the last 10 years.
史密斯说，在过去的10年里，他为所有大型超市供货。
But supermarkets do not pay enough, he noted.
但他指出，超市给出的价格还不够。
"Retailers are completely committed to making sure we can't make any sensible profit, not even in the good years," said Smith.
史密斯说：“零售商完全致力于确保我们无法获得任何合理的利润，即使是在好年景”。
By paying producers in the country so little, he believes retailers are setting up problems for the future.
他认为，零售商给生产商的价格太低是在为未来制造问题。
If other farmers like him stop producing, Britain will depend more on imports and possibly be hurt by supply shocks.
如果像他这样的农民停止生产，英国将会更加依赖进口，并可能会受到供应冲击的伤害。
For the farmers that continue, it will be a battle.
对于继续耕种的农民来说，这将是一场战斗。
Richard Napier is a professor in plant and agricultural biosciences at the University of Warwick.
理查德·纳皮尔是华威大学植物和农业生物科学教授。
Napier said, "Clearly a grower with no margins hasn't got the profits to invest back in the business."
纳皮尔说：“很明显，没有利润的种植者没有足够的利润来重新投资。”
In Kent, Smith is removing 80 percent of his orchards.
在肯特郡，史密斯正在拆除他80%的果园。
Last year growing apples lost him $186,000.
去年，种苹果让他损失了18.6万美元。
His loss would have been higher had it not been for other money he made from his land.
如果不是因为他从土地上赚到的其他钱，他的损失可能会更大。
Last harvest's Braeburn apples have not been sold yet.
去年收获的贝宝果还没有卖出去。
Apples sit in a warehouse where they are kept at between 0.5 and 1 degree Celsius.
苹果存放在仓库里，温度保持在0.5到1摄氏度之间。
That results in big energy costs.
这导致了巨大的能源成本。
Last October, Smith's monthly energy cost per kilowatt hour was 450 percent higher than in 2021.
去年10月，史密斯每月每千瓦时的电费比2021年高出450%。
Labor costs increased 15 percent, and other materials used for apple farming increased in price as well.
劳动力成本上涨了15%，种植苹果所用的其他材料的价格也上涨了。
Smith said turning away from apple production was the best way to make sure his family's farm survives.
史密斯说，放弃种植苹果是确保他家农场生存下去的最好方式。
He bought a juicing business for which he will continue to grow some apples.
他买了一家榨汁公司，并将继续种植一些苹果。
Pigs and chickens will be brought in.
他还将会买一些猪和鸡。
He also has a farm shop selling juice and other produce.
他还有一家农场商店，出售果汁和其他农产品。
In addition to these changes, Smith is planting a vineyard and is growing small amounts of cherries.
除了这些变化，史密斯还在种植一个葡萄园，并种植少量樱桃。
Under Smith's plan, the garden lives on, but it is producing less food than it once did.
在史密斯的计划下，果园得以继续存在，但其生产的食物比以前少了。
I'm John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
