Thai Rice Prices Hit Record; UN Concerned About Asia Food Security
泰国米价创记录联合国关注此问题

　
Rice prices in Thailand, the world's leading exporter, reached a record of over one-thousand dollars a ton. The increase in rice and food prices generally will be the center of debate at a U.N. conference next week.

世界最大的大米出口国泰国的米价创下新的纪录，达到每吨一千美元以上。大米和食品价格的普遍上涨将成为下个星期联合国一个会议辩论的中心议题。

The surge in rice prices in Thailand continues, with traders reporting benchmark rates climbing more than five percent on Thursday.

泰国大米价格的迅速上升仍在继续。星期四交易商通报的基准价格增长了5%。

Prices have tripled since January, with a ton of Thai rice now selling for more than one-thousand dollars. Rising food prices around the world already have led to food riots in some African nations and Haiti, and protests elsewhere.

大米价格自从今年1月起已经增加了两倍，目前一吨大米的价格已经超过了一千美元。世界范围的食品价格上涨已经导致一些非洲国家和海地发生暴乱，其他地方出现了抗议示威。

There are fears prices could go higher in Thailand, the world's largest exporter, if Iran and Indonesia decide to buy rice on the international market.

有人担心世界最大的大米出口国泰国的价格可能继续上涨，如果伊朗和印尼决定从国际市场购买大米的话。

U.N. officials have put food prices at the top of the agenda for an Asia-Pacific ministerial meeting in Bangkok next week.

联合国官员下个星期在曼谷召开的亚太部长级会议已经将食品价格问题列为议事日程的首要议题。

Noeleen Heyzer is executive secretary for the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - ESCAP. She says part of the problem has been poor oversight of farming in several countries.

联合国亚洲及太平洋经济社会委员会的执行秘书黑泽尔说，问题的一部分是由于几个国家在农业上的疏忽。

"Growth has been centered on the urban areas and also the townships, and there has been a terrible neglect of the agricultural sector. For example, in India where the overall growth rate is nine percent, but the agricultural sector is 2.2 percent," Heyzer said.

黑泽尔说：“经济的增长一直集中在城市地区，而对农业严重疏忽。比如印度的经济增长是9%，但是农业的增长只有2.2%。”

The Thai Rice Exporters Association says there is a shortfall of 30 million tons in world rice stockpiles. The shortage is the result of several factors, including rising demand from countries such as China and India, a severe drought in Australia, and the conversion of farm land to industrial and urban use.

泰国的大米出口商协会说，世界大米的储存出现了三千万吨的短缺。这种紧缺的现象是几个因素造成的，包括印度和中国这样的国家对大米越来越高的需求量、澳大利亚出现的严重干旱，以及将农田改为工业或者城镇用途的土地转换。

"You have speculation the of food prices and you also have the fact that there is a growing middle class and a wealthy population that is changing in its food intake as well as its food patterns," Heyzer said.

联合国亚洲及太平洋经济社会委员会的执行秘书黑泽尔说：“你可以预测食品价格的趋势，也可以看到中产阶级以及富人正在改变食品成分的摄入，也在改变他们对食物选择的模式这个事实。”

The food inflation also hurts aid organizations trying to feed refugees and the poor around the world. An official at one agency helping Burmese refugees in Thailand says rising prices have left his organization with a $6 million budget shortfall. He says that without additional funding, the organization may be forced to halve the ration given to individuals.

食品价格的增长也伤害到试图为世界上的难民和穷人提供食品的援助机构。在泰国帮助缅甸难民的一个机构的官员说，攀升的食品价格导致他的机构形成了六百万美元的预算短缺。他说，没有更多的资金，这个机构可能会被迫减少每个难民口粮的一半。