Emalitchisi titselo tasendzaweni leshisako ayimvelaphi yase China phindze ihlanyelwe khona iminyaka yasemandvulo. Noma iNingizimu Afrika, ngesikhatsi semnyaka lomuhle, angaba ngumanye lasehlelweni letitselo letisetulu eshumini kumikhicito yemalitchisi emahlabeni wonkhe jikelele ngemkhicito lonemathani latinkhulungwan letisiphohlongo, solo kusemuva ngemathani latinkhulungwane letimakhulu lamabili emathani, lokwaba ngumphula wemkhicito wemnyaka wa 2018.
Tindzawo teKukhicita emaLitchisi eNingizimu Afrika
Emalitchisi akhula kahle lapho kushisa khona, nalapho kufutfumele phindze kunebumantana nalapho kute khona sitfwatfwa etigodzini tase Ningizimu Afrika, ikakhulu kuncenye lese nyakatfompuma yase Ningizimu Afrika.
Kumkhicito wase Ningizimu Afrika wemalitchisi, 60% uchamuka endzaweni leshisako lese Lowveld eMpumalanga kusuka edolobheni lelifana ne Nelspruit, iHazyview ne Malelane. Lomunye 38% wemalitchisi ase Ningizimu Afrika uchamuka eLimpopo – eTzaneen lidolobha lelikhulu lelikhicita emalitchisi lamakhulu – bese leletinye tindzawo letisele letifana neSifundza sase KwaZulu-Natal.
Lendzawo lephelele lehlanyelwe emalitchisi aseNingizimu Afrika kwakumahekitha layinkhulungwane nelikhulu nemashumi lamabili nakune ngemnyaka wa 2016.
Sikhatsi semaLitchisi eNingizimu Afrika
Lesikhatsi semalitchisi eNingizimu Afrika sicala emkhatsini wenyanga yeMphala etindzaweni tekucala tase Malelane nase Komatipoort eMpumalanga, kutsatsa ngenyanga yeNgongoni bese kugcina ngasekupheleni kwenyanga yeNdlovana netitselo letikhiwe eNelspruit, eTzaneen nase Louis Trichardt.
Luhla LwemaLitchisi ase Ningizimu Afrika
Kutsatsa tinombolo temkhicito letisuka kumphumela weliTiko lwe Tekulima, Lemahlatsi neKudvweba (Department of Agriculture, Foresty and Fisheries – DAFF), le ‘Makethe ye maLitchiesi Esigaba ase China lakhicitwa ngemnyaka wa 2017 ikhokhe kutsi lomkhicito wemnyaka wemathani latinkhulungwane letisiphohlongo nemakhulu lamane nelishumi nakunye, lokungaba ngu 55% kwahanjiswa kwatsi 32% wakhiwa. Lolokusele kwa 13% kwatsengiswa emakethe yase Ningizimu Afrika, lokuningi kwako kwatsengiswa batsengisi bemakethe. Kulolokuhanjiswako, lokungaba ngu 90% kuya kuNyonyane yase Europe, ikakhulu eNetherlands.
Lesisindvo semnyaka wa 2016 kuhanjiswa kwemalitchisi kwakubita Tigidzi letimakhulu lasikhombisa nemashumi lasitfupha tema Randi.
Lenhlanyelo yemnyaka wa 2018/2019 leyaba ngemathani latinkhulungwane letine nemakhulu lasiphohlongo emathani, kwabhalwa kwabaphansi nakucatsaniswe naloko kwemathani latinkhulungwane letilishumi nemakhulu lamane lakhicitwa ngemnyaka wa 2017/2018. Loku kwenteka kakhulu ngendzaba yesimo selitulu lesingazange sitsandzeka ngesikhatsi setimbali, kwakheka kwembali kanye nekukhula kwembali ngemkhicito wasekucaleni wesigodzi sase Mpumalanga.
Umkhicito wemaLitchisi Mhlabawonkhe
Lokwaba ngu 96% kwemkhicito wemalitchisi mhlabawonkhe kusuka eNdzaweni yaseNyakatfo yase China, eTaiwan, iVietnam, iThailand nase India ngekuba ngutona letikhicitako. iChina nguyona yemkhicito wemalitchisi langiwo emhlabeni phindze iyafakela lokungaba ngu 70% kwemkhicito wemhlaba.
iAfrika, Australia ne Madagascar tindzawo letiseningizimu letikhicitako. iAustralia inesikhatsi lesidze sekukhicita futsi ingakhokha emalitchisi kusuka ngenyanga yeMphala kuya ekucaleni wenyanga yaMabasa ibe iMadagascar kunguyona leniketa umkhicito lomkhulu wemalitchisi eEurope. Umkhicito wemalitchisi eMalagasy usuka etihlahleni letisesigangeni futsi naletite tilwanyana.
Umlandvo weKuhlanyelwa kwemaLitchisi
Lamalitchisi yindalelo yakuncenye yase ningizimu lese China kanye nenyakatfo yase Vietnam futsi ihlanyelwe lapho ngeminyaka yandvulo. Yasakateka eIndia ngemnyaka wa 1700 phindze asakaka eNshonalanga ngemuva kwekutfolwa kwawo eChina nguMumishini wase Polish. Kuhlanyelwa kwemalitchisi kwacala eWest Indies ngemnyaka wa 1775 futsi yahlanyelwa etindlini letiluhlata eBritain nase France ekungeneni kwemnyaka wa 1800.
Emalitchisi kumbe etfulwa eNingizimu Afrika ngemnyaka wa 1870 kusuka eMauritius, lapho khona lenhlanyelo yemalitchisi lakhona nyalo avela khona. Sihlahla sekucala semalitchisi sahlanyelwa eNgadzeni Yetimbali yase Durban sase sisakaka kusuka lapho saya etindzaweni letite sitfwatfwa tase Mpumalanga nase Limpopo.
Litiko Lekuhlanyela emaLitchisi eNingizimu Afrika (South Africa Litchi Growers’ Association – SALGA) lasungulwa ngemnyaka wa 1975. iSALGA isita ngekucwalinga ngemalitchisi, lokusekela bakhiciti ngetento kanye nelwati lolucondzene ngemakethe phindze kukhulise imakethe lensha yemalitchisi.
Translated by Phindile Malotana