农业部协助处理“卖奶难”

 　　BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry¹ of Agriculture (MOA) said Sunday that it would help dairy farmers in northern China who have resorted to throwing out milk and killing² their cows through lack of sales avenues.

　　The ministry encourages dairy firms to increase purchasing, starts dairy production monitoring on a weekly basis, and strengthens policy support for the dairy industry, the ministry said in a statement.

　　The ministry said it had talked to major dairy firms including Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group and Mengniu Dairy Group, and urged them to purchase more milk, stabilize³ prices and safeguard interest of dairy farmers.

　　Chinese ministry to help dairy farmers amid milk dumping, cow killing

　　The ministry will work together with other central government departments including the Ministry of Finance to map out more supportive policies to help dairy farmers to overcome their plight⁴, it said.

　　"A tonne of milk has to be discarded each day," dairy farmer Pei Shuke in east China's Shandong Province said. "This desperate thing rarely happened before."

　　Similar cases have spread to other major milk-producing areas in China, including Hebei and Inner Mongolia. Slumping⁵ milk prices since the second half of 2014 have pushed many dairy farmers to desperation.

　　Milk prices fell for ten consecutive⁶ months starting in February 2014. In the first three quarters of last year, they dived to 3.84 yuan per kg from 4.26 yuan per kg, and the trend showed no signs of stopping in the last three months of 2014.

　　The dairy sector⁷ downturn has come as a surprise to many. In late 2013, China's dairy products saw a price hike following a production decrease caused by disease and farmers leaving the industry. Milk prices jumped to more than 5 yuan (0.8 U.S. dollars) per kilogram in December 2013 from 3.4 yuan per kg a year earlier.

　　The dairy boom sent ripples⁸ of excitement through the sector, with farmers purchasing large numbers of dairy cows at high prices to boost production.

　　But the boom proved to be a flash in the pan. In March 2014, foreign milk prices began to fall drastically due to overproduction. Many dairy companies resorted to cheap overseas sources and limited purchases from domestic suppliers, causing dairy prices to dip to new lows.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

6 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。