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From VOA Learning English, this is the AgricultureReport.
The northern part of the East African nation ofKenya is hot and gets little rain. The area has beensuffering from periods of small amount of rainfallsand droughts, when almost no rain falls. This has been going on for many years. People wholive there say the droughts are becoming more severe.
Herders are among those suffering the most. They are people who move with their animals fromplace to place. But over the past few years, many of the animals have died. The lack of rain hasstopped the growth of grasses and other foods the animals eat.
Many of the herders have no animals left, so they are forced to become farmers. In theirculture, being a herder brings them power and respect. Farmers are not as respected asherders.
Ali Abdi was a herder. His family was considered wealthy. He had respect from people in hishome district of Garissa, in northern Kenya. Mr. Abdi had about 100 goats. He moved whenthe seasons changed, searching for new places for the goats to eat. But in 2012 and 2013,little rain fell, and Mr. Abdi's world changed.
As the pastures dried up, he says, his animals lost weight, then started to die. By the end ofthe drought, more than two-thirds of his goats were gone. They were the only way he couldfeed his family.
Ahmed Sheikh works at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. He saysMr. Abdi was not the only herder who suffered.
"Most people actually went into destitution. People who had 100 heads of cattle remained with10, goats the same. The herd size is what makes pastoralism a bit economical, but once theherd size shrinks it becomes really uneconomical."
This year drought has again hit Garissa, so Mr. Abdi made a difficult decision.
Mr. Abdi and about twelve other men and women are trying to grow crops. The group preparedabout three hectares of land using long knives.
It was so difficult that some of them thought it would be impossible. But now they are growingfruits and vegetables, including bananas, tomatoes, chilies and lemons.
Some local people criticized Mr. Abdi for choosing to become a farmer.
Mr. Abdi says his wife was unhappy, because in their society a man who farms is consideredlowly and poor. This is still true, he says, even though he now makes more money from hisfarm than he did with his goats.
And that's the VOA Learning English Agriculture Report. I'm Marsha James.
參考翻譯
這裡是美國之音慢速英語農業報導。
東非國家肯亞的北部地區現在炎熱少雨，該地區長期以來遭受少雨乾旱之苦，幾乎沒有降雨，這一情況已經持續多年，當地人稱乾旱正變得越發嚴重。
牧民們的損失最大，這些人帶著牲畜到處流動。但在過去幾年，很多牲畜都死了，乾旱使得餵養牲畜的野草等食物都停止了生長。
很多牧民們已經沒有牲畜了，所以被迫成為農民。在他們的文化中，做牧民能帶來權力和尊敬，而農民得不到牧民那樣的尊敬。
阿里·阿布迪是位牧民，他家被視為富有者，他在家鄉肯亞北部加裡薩地區很受尊敬。阿里曾有100隻山羊，當季節變換時他就遷徙，為山羊尋找食物。但在2012年和2013年，幾乎沒有降雨，阿里的世界改變了。
他說，由於牧場變幹，他的牲畜都瘦了，然後開始死掉。到了乾旱結束時，他三分之二的山羊都死了，它們是他唯一能養活家人的東西。
艾哈邁德·謝赫就職於肯亞農業與牲畜研究組織，他說遭受損失的牧民不止阿里一家。
「事實上大多數人家都陷入赤貧，以前有100頭牛的人家現在只有10頭，山羊也是一樣。牧群規模能使畜牧業變得經濟，但一旦牧群規模縮小，就變得不那麼經濟了。」
今年加裡薩地區又遭遇乾旱，所以阿里只得做出艱難的選擇。
阿里和其他12名男女開始種植作物，他們用長刀清理出大約3公頃的土地。
這樣很不容易，有的人認為這是不可能的，但現在他們開始種植水果和蔬菜，包括香蕉、西紅柿、辣椒和檸檬。
一些當地人批評阿里選擇成為農民。
阿里說他的妻子不開心，因為在他們的社會中，從事農業者被視為低賤和貧窮，他說現在還是如此，即使他現在從農場掙的錢比養山羊掙得多。
這就是美國之音慢速英語農業報導，我是瑪莎·詹姆斯。