Part 3. Torrential Storms in Kenya.

Keywords. torrential storms, horticulture, hope, rain, growers, business orders, bad weather.

Vocabulary. horticultural, shiver, pea, bean, associate, maize, nightmare, Rift Valley Fever.

A. Listen to the first part of a news report about the torrential storms in Kenya.

Complete the following statements, then fill in the chart below in note form.

Hello, for the last two weeks, we've reported how heavy rains have contributed to the spread of Rift Valley Fever in Kenya.

This week, we hear how the continuing torrential storms in that region are washing away Kenyan horticulture's hopes of a good season.

Sarah Rannoe is just back from Nairobi.

Now there's never a good time for heavy rainfall such as this.

But for the horticulture industry, Sarah, this must be a particularly bad time for heavy beating rain.

Well, January should be one of the best months for growers of fruit, vegetables and flowers in Kenya.

Hot, dry, sunny days and peak production destined for consumers shivering in the European winter and longing for a taste of African sunshine.

But in Kenya, as elsewhere, the weather is not behaving as it should.

Mouth of rain, often torrential, is washing away hopes of a good harvest.

Flowers are reluctant to flower.

And perhaps worst hit are growers of peas and French beans.

"In the whole of my life, and I'm talking about somebody who is over 60 years old,

I've not experienced a season like this.

The whole of that period, I've not seen rains like this in January in Kenya."

James Masengi, chairman of the Fresh Produce Exporters' Association of Kenya, who speaks not only for his members, but out of personal and bitter experience.

"Crops are flooded. We are finding it even difficult to meet the requirements of consumers.

Because crops have been destroyed."

"Are you going to be able keep your business orders up to date? Are you going to complete your export orders?"

"Yes, we are struggling very much to keep the export orders.

In some places, we're not able to supply them 100 percent, but we're supplying something."

James Masengi.

B. Now listen to the second part of the news report. Complete the following two charts in note form.

And for growers of roses, the flower associated with love and romance, there's very little happiness in the air.

Ian Maroe is managing director of CN Roses Limited, one of Kenya's leading rose exporters.

"Cold, cloudy, wet weather increases disease pressure and slows down growth.

So our production is probably down. A six mouth figure is down 30 percent."

"Are you disappointing your customers?"

"Some, we try to keep the more important ones contented, but some are definitely disappointed, definitely, yeah."

"Do you think you'll be able to pick up over the course of the season?"

"The bad weather as such will continue for a depressingly long time according to the forecast.

But if we get sunshine in the next month or so, we'll be able to catch up quite a lot."

"Are you making up the short fall in production by an increase in price?"

"Uh, no, because a lot of our sales are on the contract price."

Ian Maroe.

And I should add that even more of Kenya's crops are in trouble.

Maize has suffered badly.

Coffee is under constant threat of disease.

And although tea is growing well, getting it picked and transported is a nightmare on roads that become all but impossible in these conditions.

But the greatest fear is that the rain could be followed by the opposite: drought.