Kuthiwa ama-mulberries adabuka enarheni ye-China, e-Japan kunye ne-Himalayan Foothills. Imithi yayo ihlotjaniswa nemithi ye-sericulture (ukukhiqizwa kwe-silk), ne-China ekhupha i-silk kuma-cocoons emahlathini kusukela eminyakeni eyi 4 500 eyadlulako. Fundisisa ngokuzeleko nge-sericulture lapha.
Imithi ye-mulberry kwekadeni yayibuthelelwe njengeye yezinto eziligugu ngonobangela wejuzi yesithelo sayo kunye nama-properties wayo asihlahla. Enarheniye-Asia, abalimi kwasemandulo bebasebenzisa amakari wayo njengokudla kweenlwane, okusisenzo esasabalalela e-Afrika, e-Latin kunye ne-Central America, ne-Caribbean kusukela ekupheleni kweminyaka yabo 1980s.
Iplanka laso lisetjenziswa ukwenza ipahla yangendlini, abomantji botjani kunye neensetjenziswa zezemidlalo eenarheni ezifana ne-India nemihlobo eminye yewolo lemithi. Imihlobo ethileko isetjenziswa ukwenza namaphepha.
Umkhiqizo Kwezinye Iinarha Zangaphetjheya
Inarha ye-China inendawo ekulu engaphasi komkhiqizo we-mulberry, kulandele inarha ye-India. Umthamo omuncani ukhiqizwa eenarheni ezifana ne-Thailand kunye ne-Brazil.
Umkhiqizo Enarheni Yekhethu
Imihlobohlobo eyahlukahlukeneko ilethwe eSewula Afrika kusukela enarheni ye-Indonesia, e-Thailand, kunye ne-Taiwan kusukela ngabo 1600s. Imizamo yokuthoma i-indastri ye-silk yathoma ngeminyaka yabo 1726 lokha ikampani ye-Dutch East India iletha ama-silkworms enarheni yekhethu. Ekuthomeni, i-silk yayikhiqizwa ziingqila begodu bekunemizamo yokusungula iprojekthi ye-free slave sericulture eduze ne-Stellenbosch.
Ngo 1881 isiqhema se-Italian sericulture esingaba matjhumi amathathu sabosolwazi salethwa eSewula Afrika, ukuthoma i-indastri ye-silk e-Gouna eduze ne-Knysna e-Western Cape. Abaphalali babedlumbana bona bazokuthoma ukulima khonokho, kodwana ekufikeni kwabo bathola kunganamithi yama-mulberry ehlathini le-Gouna. Emaphethelweni, kwafuze babuyele ekulimeni nekusikeni iinkuni ukuze barhone ukuphila. Nemithi ye-mulberry ebayitjalako akhenge ihlale isikhathi ngonobangela wamazinga womtjhiso angakafaneli ukukhiqiza isithelwesi.
Kungasikade ngabo 1980s, umnyango wezelimo wahloma iprojekthi ye-sericulture eMpumalanga, ngelaso sikhathi imilingo eminengini yenziwa emihlobeni eminengi ehlukahlukeneko yemithi ye-mulberry. I-projekthi lena yangena ngaphasi kombuso ozijameleko ngo 1994 lokha urhulumende nakalisa ukunikela ngeemmali kule projekthi ngonobangela weendleko eziphezulu nenzuzo ephasi.
U-Prof Kas Holtzhuasen, owayengumqhuqhuzeli naye uthathwa njengabanye babaqhuqhuzeli be-projekthi lena.
Ukukhiqiza
Ama-mulberries akhula kuhle endaweni lapho kunokwehla nokukhuphuka kwamazinga womtjhiso. Begodu atlhoga amanzi amanengi, ngalokho kuncono atjalwe endaweni lapho ekuna khona izulu khulu.
Ama-mulberry amhlophe angenelela khulu begodu akasatjwalwa ngaphandle kobana uthole imvumo yokuwatjala. Umkhiqizo we-mulberry udinga ukusetjenzwa khulu njengombana zoke iimomori kufuze zikhiwe ngesikhathi esifaneleko. Imikhiqizo ekhona kuyafana nokobana ayikho, njengombana yoke imikhiqizo etholakala ngemavikilini ithengwe kwezinye iinarha nofana ibuya emithini eembalwa esaphilako yabalimi benarheni yekhethu.
Munye okungiwo wodwa osaseleko wesimu ye-sericulture enarheni utholakala eLimpopo eduze ne-Hoedspruit. Isimu lena ingaba nomkhiqizo ongaba ngaphasi kwe 6 ha ngo 2019, kodwana yoke imithi lena yenziwa ithwane, njengembhinweni i-“Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush” ukwenza ncono ukulawula nokuvuna. Imithi ekhona lena ikhiqiza umthamo omncani weenthelo ezincani. Amakari akasetjenziswa kwaphela njengokudla kwama-silkworms kodwana nokudliwa ziimfarigi.
Njengokutjho komphathi we Africa Silk, u-Ronel Swart, ayikho imithi emitjha ekheyatjalwa eplasineli solokho lathomako ngo 1994 ngonobangela wekungenelela kwemithi yayo.
Isikhathi Sonyaka Sokukhiqiza
Ama-mulberries sithelo sehlobo, isithelo sakhona sivuthwa nasele kuyokuphela ithwasa busika.
Imihlobo
Kunemihlobo eminengi ekhona. Imihlobo ekhiqizwa e-Afrika Silk yi-Noi kunye ne-Thai Sang, ezithethwe enarheni ye-Thailand kodwana ingatjalwa ne-Taiwan. Ubuhle bemihlobo lena kukobana ayikhiqizi amathuthumbo amanengi neemomori, ngalokho ayinabungozi ku-flora (iimila zamathuthumbo ezithileko) zekhethu.
Ibuye ikhiqize imimhlobo ye-WaterKloof, engasetjenziswa ekukhiqizeni iimomori kodwana ikhiqize iinthelo ezincani kwaphela ngonobangela wokobana imithi iprunwe ukukhuphula amakari ingasi kukhiqiza iimomori.
Ukuthengisa
Ambalwa ama-mulberries athengiswa eSewula Afrika, isitoko esinengi sithengwa eenarheni zangaphandle nofana akhiwe emithini engakatjalwa emaplasini.
Ukusetjenziswa
Ama-mulberries ukukudla, okuzele amavithamini, amaminerali, umthiya, ama-anti-inflammatories kunye nama-antioxidants.
Angadliwa afretjhi, asetjenziswe ekubhageni, aqandiswe nofana aprosesiwe ukuze asetjenziswe ukwenza imehliso, amajuzi, iintiye, amayogadi kunye nejemu. I-silk protein isetjenziswa kuma-pharmaceutical, ama-prosthetics, ne-indastrini eyenza izinto zokugeza nokuzesa.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana