Brazilian drought impacts fertilizer sales and global agriculture

admin 2024年3月25日

Beginner

world news, world news - beginner

Pre-reading questions:

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

講師がそれぞれの質問を読むので答えましょう。

Have you heard of or experienced any significant changes in crop production due to weather conditions?
Have you ever heard about El Niño and its influence on agricultural activities?

Vocabulary:

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

単語、意味、例文を読みます。講師に続いて音読しましょう。

challenge /CHAL-inj/

[noun] – (the situation of being faced with) something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person’s ability
Overcoming obstacles in life is a significant challenge that helps in personal growth.

company /KUHM-puh-nee/

[noun] – an organization that sells goods or services in order to make money
The tech company specializes in creating innovative software applications for businesses.

fear /feer/

[verb] – an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen
She fears walking alone at night due to safety concerns in the neighborhood.

lead /leed/

[verb] – to cause or result in something happening
His persuasive argument may lead the committee to reconsider their decision.

predict /pri-DIKT/

[verb] – to say that an event or action will happen in the future, especially as a result of knowledge or experience
Meteorologists predict heavy rainfall tomorrow based on weather patterns.

Article reading:

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

記事を音読しましょう。講師はあなたの発音とイントネーションを確認します。

In Brazil, insufficient rainfall poses a challenge for farmers purchasing fertilizer to plant corn. This delay affects fertilizer companies globally, worrying top executives from companies such as Nutrien, Mosaic, and Yara. They fear that the delay in Brazil’s soybean harvest might impact fertilizer sales. Additionally, this delay might lead farmers to plant corn later than usual due to the crop’s heavy fertilizer needs.

Brazil’s dry weather, linked to El Niño, makes farming uncertain and impacts fertilizer companies. After the Russia-Ukraine war, crop and fertilizer prices dropped. If Brazilian farmers delay planting corn, they might use less fertilizer. Mosaic predicts a 4% drop in Brazil’s corn harvest, reducing 500,000 tons of fertilizer valued at $160 million. By December, Brazilian farmers had bought only 60% of their usual fertilizer. This may lead to a 75% decrease in Brazil’s corn production, affecting global prices and making American farmers rethink fertilizer purchases, despite plans to use less for growing soybeans.

True or False:

Read the sentences and identify if they are true or false based on the article.

文章を読んで、記事に基づいて正誤を答えましょう。

Insufficient rainfall in Brazil presents a challenge for farmers buying fertilizer for planting corn.
Brazil’s insufficient rainfall has significantly boosted crop yields, leading to surplus fertilizer purchases by farmers.
Fertilizer companies, unaffected by Brazil’s soybean harvest delay, expect record-high sales due to increased demand.
Dry weather in Brazil, despite its association with El Niño, has not affected farming or fertilizer companies’ operations.
By December, Brazilian farmers had purchased only 60% of their typical fertilizer, potentially impacting crop production.

Fill in the blanks:

Choose the correct word from the table then fill in the blanks.

適切な言葉を選んで空欄を埋めましょう。

challenge

company

fear

lead

predict

Economists __________ a rise in inflation rates due to recent market trends.
The company __________ a decline in sales if they don’t adapt to changing market trends.
The sudden rain shower might __________ to the cancellation of the outdoor event.
She works at a marketing __________ that focuses on promoting sustainable products.
Developing a successful business plan requires overcoming numerous __________ and adapting to changing market dynamics.