Matimu
Ntumbuluko wa ti plums wunga landzelerisiwa hi mintila yimbirhi; muxaka wantolovelo wati plum tale Europe, leti tumbulukeke kwalomuya ka Black na Caspian sea, xikan’we na muxaka wa Japanese plum, lowu tumbulukeke e China. Japanese plums hi xitalo i totshuka, tikurile naswona tina juzi kutlula ti European plums, leti hixitalo tinga ta purple kuya eka wasi, naswona tiva ta rihlaza kumbe xitshopani hi muhlovo. Ti European plums tina xivumbeko xa oval, kasi ti Japanese plums tona ita xirhendzevutani kutani titontswa laha hansi.
Eka rixaka ra ma China, ti plums tiyimele rifuwo ra kahle naswona kuya hi Chinese philosopher wa khale swinene, Lao Tze, loyi a tswariweke ehansi ka nsinya wa plum. Eka tsala ra matimu ra Chinese, Legends of Three Kingdoms, un’wana wa tinhenha ta ndhuma, Cao Cao, a hlohletela masocha yakwe kuva ya suka laha kungana khombo, hikuva byela leswaku kuna nsinya lowungana ti plums totsokombela emahlweni.
Vuhumelerisi bya Afrika Dzonga
Ti plums ti tisiwile e Afrika Dzonga hi Jan van Riebeeck, murhangeri wa mu Dutch, loyi a tirhisa muhandzu lowu tani hi xikombiso eka diary hiti 11 October 1656.
Harry Pickstone, loyi a tekiwaka tani hi tatana wa tindzhawu ta vuhumelerisi bya mihandzu e Afrika Dzonga, uxavile tinxaka totala ta muxaka wa Japanese kusuka e California kwalomuya kava 1896, naswona hi 1907 muxaka wosungula wa Afrika Dzonga wukumekile e xifundzheni xa KwaZulu-Natal.
Muxaka lowu tisiweke kusuka e handle awu fikangi wutirha kahle ehansi ka swiyimo swa vuhumelerisi bya laha Afrika Dzonga, leswinga endla leswaku kuva na ndzavisiso na minongonoko ya nhluvukiso, lowu awu hlohleteriwa ngopfu hiva Agricultural Research Centre (ARC) ngopfu ngopfu, Infruitec Nietvoorbi. Endzhaku ka malembe, va ARC va tumbuluxe swipimelo swa vuhumelerisi xikan’we na tinxaka tintshwa, tin’wani kunga leti na namuntlha taha lavekaka ngopfu, letinga lulamela swinene eka maxelo ya Afrika Dzonga na swiyimo swa vuhumelerisi.
Tindzhawu ta Vuhumelerisi
Ti plums tilava maxelo yale hansi hinkarhi wa xixika kunghena eka nkarhi wo wisa leswaku kuta huma mabilomu naku kula kahle. Kahle kahle tihumelerisiwa etikweni hinkwaro ra Afrika Dzonga, kambe ngopfu ngopfu e Western Cape laha maxelo yanga kahle kuva ku humelerisiwa mihandzu wati plum. Ndzhawu ya Klein Karoo yina ndzhawu yikulu leyinga hansi ka vuhumelerisi, yi landzeriwa hi ndzhawu ya Paarl, Wolseley, Tulbagh, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Ceres, Langkloof, Villiersdorp na Vyeboom.
Ti plums tinga kula eka tinxaka tohambana ta misava kambe ti tsakela misava leyinga enta, misava leyi tswongaka kahle mati, kusukela eka ya sandy loam kuya eka sandy clay loam tani hi leswi voniwaka hi ndzawulo ya vurimi ya Plum Production Guide. Muxaka lowu wa muhandzu wukondzelela eka misava leyinga tala mati kutlula tinxaka tin’wana ta mihandzu yatinyungu, ehandle ka kubola ka timintsu. Ti plums ti chava ngopfu pathogenic nematodes. Swiyimo swa timpfula na mimoya hinkarhi wa mabilomu swiyava na xiave xo biha swinene eka pollination leswi endlaka ku kuva na mbuyelo wale hansi wa mihandzu.
Tinxaka
Kuna tinxaka totala letikulu tati plum leti humelerisiwaka e Afrika Dzonga. Xiboho xa muxaka xitekiwa kuya hi xiyimo xa mahumeleriselo, kufana na swilaveko swo titimeta muxaka walowo, ku kondzelela mavabyi xikan’we na swilaveko swa timakete leti lavaka ku fikeleriwaka. Tinhlayo-nhlayo ta Hortgro’s Key Deciduous Fruit tikombeta leswaku Angeleno i muxaka lowu byariwaka swinene hi lembe ra 2018, leyinga kwalomu ka 10% eka ndzhawu ya vuhumelerisi.
Laetitia yona yina 9% eka ndzhawu ya vuhumelerisi, loko Songold, African Delight na Fortune laha yin’we yingana 6% na Sapphire yingana 5%. Pioneer, Flavor King, Flavor Fall, African Pride kumbe Sunkiss na African Rose leyinga eka 3%, loko Southern Belle, Purple Majesty, September Yummy, Sun Supreme na Larry Anne leyi ha yin’we ya 2%.
Kusuka eka tinhlayo-nhlayo, swile rivaleni leswaku van’wamapurasi vabyala ngopfu Ruby Sun, Angeleno, na Ruby Start loko vasungula ku byala misinya yintshwa.
Nguva
Kuya hi xiyimo xa maxelo, tindzhawu ta vuhumelerisi xikan’we na muxaka, ti plums ti humelerisiwa kusukela eka vhiki ravumbirhi ra November kuya eku heleni ka February e Afrika Dzonga.
Vuxavisi
Ti plums ta Afrika Dzonga ita khwalithi ya kahle, tikuma mintsengo ya kahle eka timakete ta matiko mambe, leswi pfunetaka ku tlakusa ikhonomi yale kaya xikan’we naku vanga mintirho emakaya. Kwalomu ka 74% wati plums ta Afrika Dzonga ti xaviseriwa matiko mambe lembe na lembe, laha Europe yivaka na hafu xikan’we na United Kingdom kuringana kotara ya swixavisiwa. Tinhlayo tikulu titlhela tirhumeriwa e Middle East, Russia, Far East nale Asia. Kutlula nyana 20% wa ti plums tixaviseriwa kwala kaya naswona 3% yi tirhisiwa ku endla swin’wana.
Switirhisiwa
Ti plums tihumelerisa swakudya swa kahle swotani hiti vitamin, minerali na fibre. Vulavisisi byi tlhela byi vika leswaku mihandzu ya tinyungu yina ti nhlayo leti fanakata ti antioxidant eka ti blueberries naswona tifanele kutekiwa tani hi mihandzu ya kahle. Ti plums hi xitalo ti yiwa tiri furexe kumbe tiri eka ti saladi naswona tinga endla swinwani swakudya. Ti plum sauces i khale ti rhandziwa hi ma China, leti tirhisiwaka eka swakudya swo hambana hambana.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni