Pig Farmers Needed to Satisfy Pork Demand养猪农户需要满足市场的猪肉需求

Today's Britain is full of TV shows like Fame Academy, which claim to offer young hopefuls an instant passport to fame and riches.

But a very different kind of academy may provide a new generation of Brits with a slower, steadier path to wealth.

A 'pig academy' in the east of England is aiming to train up new pig farmers to help boost local agriculture and meet the UK's growing demand for pork.

Last year consumption of pork products increased by 6,000 tonnes.

But British farmers have not benefited from this rise in demand. A combination of increasing feed prices, competition from cheaper imports and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease have all eaten into their profits. Pig numbers in the UK have actually almost halved in the last decade.

Now, Fresh Start Pig Academy in Lincolnshire is launching a course which intends to redress the balance. They say pig husbandry is a growth industry and newcomers are welcome.

For those of you who fancy getting your hands dirty, the course will teach you everything you need to know: from keeping pigs healthy to raising the capital needed to start up.

Pig farmer Anne Longthorp followed her father into the industry and believes that farming pigs is very rewarding work:

"They're great, inquisitive animals to work with. Just watching their behaviour – it's really interesting work. There is a lot more to pig farming than people give us credit for. It's very scientific."

So, while most of Britain's young people may continue to dream of overnight stardom, others will hope a more traditionalcareer will help them bring home the bacon.

• academy [ə´kædəmi]   n.专科学校；学会；协会   (初中英语单词)
• instant [´instənt]   a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间   (初中英语单词)
• passport [´pɑ:spɔ:t]   n.护照；通行证；执照   (初中英语单词)
• generation [,dʒenə´reiʃən]   n.发生；世代；同龄人   (初中英语单词)
• agriculture [´ægrikʌltʃə]   n.农业；农事   (初中英语单词)
• combination [,kɔmbi´neiʃən]   n.结合；联合；团体   (初中英语单词)
• competition [,kɔmpi´tiʃən]   n.比赛；竞争   (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli]   ad.事实上；实际上   (初中英语单词)
• healthy [´helθi]   a.健康的   (初中英语单词)
• career [kə´riə]   n.经历；生涯；职业   (初中英语单词)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən]   n.消耗；结核病   (高中英语单词)
• outbreak [´autbreik]   n.(战争等的)爆发   (高中英语单词)
• overnight [,əuvə´nait]   ad.通宵 a.昨晚的   (英语四级单词)
• traditional [trə´diʃənəl]   a.传统的，习惯的   (英语四级单词)
• redress [ri´dres]   vt.&n.纠正；调整   (英语六级单词)
• husbandry [´hʌzbəndri]   n.务农，耕种   (英语六级单词)
• inquisitive [in´kwizitiv]   a.好奇的，好问的   (英语六级单词)