Ngaphandle kwelitfuba lelikhulu lwe carob lolusakwatwa njenge protein-yenhlanyelo lekudla lokuvutsiwe lokusetjentiswa bantfu netilwane, icarob ayihlanyelwa esikalini sentsengo eNingizimu Afrika. Noma kukhona ingadze yetitselo letentiwa eWestern Cape, kute balimi labakhicita icarob yekutsengiswa ngesigaba sekwakha imali.
Phindze, kute emakhatsi lakhekako ecarob eNingizimu Afrika – yonkhe imphuphu yecarob iyatsengwa ngaphandle. Kudla emakhasi ecarob noma lokuhlangene ne carob lokukhicitwako akufakwa ngesilinganiso sekudla kwetilwane eNingizimu Afrika, yebo bafuyi bavumela tilwane kutsi tidle emakhasi lanashukela lovutsiwe. (Kwentela kugaya, emakhasi kanye netinhlavu leticinile lekumele ticotjwe ngemshina wekugaya).
Lucwalingo lolwentiwe ngu Lukas Lipuumbu kanye ne Nyuvesi yase Stellenbosch yelitiko letekudla lesayensi leselifake kutfutfuka kwekudla lokusihlanu lokusha lokukhicitiwe netinongo te carob - sinkhwa, lipalishi, emabele esidlo sasekuseni, imoousse kanye nelubisi - sinatfo sekucalela. Kute ngisho nakunye kuloku longakhicitwa phindze kukhululwe ngesikali sentsengo njengentfo lemile yecarob kanjalo netintfo tekwakha njengoba lecarob idzingeka.
Ngekusho kwa Dokotela Pippa Karsen, umcwalingi wesitjalo sesayensi kanye neLlitiko Lekulima lwase Western Cape, ngekwentsengo, kuhlanyelwa kw carob kulunge ngetimvula tasebusika. ‘Emakhasi emaCarob avutfwa ngesikhatsi sasehlobo futsi uma atfola timvula tasehlobo lamakhasi ayancibilika asuke phindze agucule emakhemikhali.’ Kukhula kwe carob kubese kunconotwa etindzaweni letite noma letinetimvula letincane tasehlobo.
iCarob inesihlahla lesidvuna nalesinsikati naleto letinsikati tihlahla letitfola emakhasi, noma letinye titfola timbale letindvuna naletinsikati. ‘Uma tiphuma tihlahlana tetinhlavu utokwati eminyakeni lemitsatfu kutsi sidvuna noma sisikati. Letinye tihlahla lesitibonile tiphuma timbale uma setineminyaka lesihlanu budzala,’ kungeta Dokotela Karsen.
Tihlahla te carob tidzinga kunakekelwa lokuncane, imelana nemoya lobandzako futsi inetilwanyana letimbalwa.
Translated by Phindile Malotana