WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

Kagoshima shochu in high spirits in 2011
According to a report announced by Kagoshima Prefecture Sake Makers' Association, which consists of 113 companies, the shipping volume of the local real shochu spirit during its financial year 2011--from July 2011 through June 2012-- was 136,000 kilolitres, which was an increase of 1.6 percent from the previous year to mark the first year-on-year rise in five years since 2006. The association attributed the growth mainly to the recovery from the weakened demand stemming from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and business expansion by its member companies such as development of new products.
Meanwhile, the production volume in the prefecture showed the seventh straight year of decline sagging 7.2 points from the year before at 158,000 kilolitres as the result of production adjustment by makers with carryover of excessive inventory from the previous years.
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＜タイトル＞
鹿児島の焼酎が２０１１年に好調
In high spiritは「意気揚々として、高揚して」。spiritには「蒸留酒」の意味もある。
＜第１パラグラフ＞
According to...：・・・によると　　　announced by...：・・・が発表した　　　consists of...：・・・で構成される（be composed of, be comprised of, be made up of, be formed by）　　　the ~ volume：出荷量　　　financial year：会計年度　　　an increase of...：・・・の増加　　　the ~ year：前年度　　　year-on-year：前年比で　　　The association：酒造組合のこと　　　attributed ~ mainly to...：～の主な原因を・・・だとした　　　stemming from...：・・・に端を発する　　　the ~ Earthquake：東日本大震災　　　business expansion：事業の拡大
＜第２パラグラフ＞
Meanwhile：一方で（In the meantime, on the other hand）　　　the ~ volume：生産量　　　the seventh ~ decline：７年連続の減少　　　sagging...：・・・下落して（decreasing, declining）　　　from ~ before：前年度から　　　as ~ of...：・・・の結果として　　　production adjustment：生産調整　　　carryover ~ inventory：持ち越し在庫