In the coastal areas of Yunlin County’s Dongshi, Sihhu and Taisi townships, white radishes have reached harvest stage. Last year, quite a lot of farmers turned to growing white radishes, because the year before they had seen their other crops become severely damaged by diseases and insects. Yet last year’s weather conditions were surprisingly ideal for white radishes. The result was a crop surplus and a subsequent slump in radish prices, which fell to between NT$2 and NT$3 per kilogram.
This year, white radish prices have increased between sixfold to sevenfold, rising to NT$17 per kilogram. Having lost a great deal of money growing white radishes last year, many farmers switched to a different crop this year. Nonetheless, just when they least expected it, white radish prices have come back, and the chance for making profit has again slipped away.
White radish growers say that although the price has risen, this year’s volume is only half of last year’s. Due to diseases, insect damage and long periods of rain, rotten and chapped white radish can be found everywhere in the radish fields. The profit from radishes is thus still lower than expected.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY Yu-an Tu)
雲林縣東勢、四湖、台西等海線地區正值白蘿蔔採收期。前年因其他作物病蟲害嚴重，不少農民轉而種植較易照顧的白蘿蔔。不料去年因氣候適當，白蘿蔔產量過剩，價格暴跌，每公斤只有二到三元。
今年白蘿蔔價格狂飆六、七倍，漲到每公斤十七元。不少農民在去年種植白蘿蔔慘賠後轉種其他作物，沒想到「抓龜走鱉」，還是沒賺到。
菜農表示，白蘿蔔價格雖然大漲，但今年產量只有去年的一半。因病蟲害、連日下雨等因素，田間到處可見腐爛或龜裂的白蘿蔔，利潤並不如想像中高。
(自由時報記者鄭旭凱)
今日單字
1. slump v.
暴跌 (bao4 die2)
例: The sales of Barbie dolls have slumped over the last two years.
(過去兩年來芭比娃娃的銷售量暴跌。)
2. volume n.
產量 (chan3 liang4)
例: The volume of Napa Valley wine grapes produced this year is expected to be significantly higher.
(今年納帕山谷的釀酒用葡萄產量預計會特別高。)
3. chapped adj.
龜裂的 (jun1 lie4 de5)
例: You can apply olive oil to chapped skin to help it heal.
(你可以在龜裂的肌膚上抹橄欖油以促進復原。)
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