Kukholeleka ukuba iimulberries zaqala ukukhula kumazwe ase China, Japan kunye nase. Imithi yesi siqhamo yayanyaniswa ne sericulture (imveliso ye silika-silk). Ilizwe lase China laqala ukuvelisa isilika ngee cocoons ezisuka endle ukusukela kwiminyaka engama 4 500 eyadlulayo. Funda kabanzi nge sericulture apha.
Imithi ye Mulberry kudala yathandwa ngenxa yeziqhamo zayo ezinencasa kunye ne propathi ezinamayeza anyangayo. Kumazwe ase Asia, amafama kudala asebenzisa amagqabi ukondla izilwanyana. Esi senzo sele sinwenwele nakumazwekazi ase Afrika, Latin, Mbindi Melika kunye nase Carebbean ukusukela ekupheleni kweminyaka yoo 1980.
Inkuni zayo kwenziwa ngazo amaplanga efenitshala, iingqayi nkqu nezixhobo zemidlala kumazwe afana ne India. Iindidi ezithile zikwasetyenziswa ukuvelisa amaphepha.
iMveliso yeHlabathi
Ilizwe lase China linowona mhlaba mkhulu wemveliso ye mulberry, lilandelwe lelase India. Izibalo ezincinane zikwaveliswa kumazwe afana ne Thailanda kunye ne Brazil.
iMveliso Yase Lizweni
Iindidi ezahlukeneyo zaziswa eMzantsi Afrika zisuka kumazwe ase Indonesia, Thailand, kunye nase Taiwan ukusukela ngeminyaka yoo 1600. Iinzame zokuqala ushishino lwe silk zaqala ngomnyaka ka 1726 ngethuba inkampani ye Dutch East India Company izisa iisilkworm kweli lizwe. Ekuqaleni, isilk yayiveliswa ngamakhoboka kwaye kwade kwabakho neenzame zokuseka iprojekthi ye sericulture yasimahla eveliswa ngamakhoboka, kwindawo ekufutshane ne Stellenbosch.
Ngomnyaka ka 1881 iqela leengcali ezimalungana namashumi amathathu laziswa eMzantsi Afrika. Eli qela laziselwa ukuza kuqala ushishino lwe silk kwindawo yase Gouna ekufutshane ne Knysna kwiphondo lase Ntshona Koloni. Ezi ngcali zazicinga ukuba zizakuqala nokulima ngoko nangoko, kodwa bathi xa befika kwakungekho kwamithi ye mulberry kwihlathi lase Gouna. Ekugqibeleni baphetha belima begawula neenkuni ukuze baphile. Imithi ye mulberry abathi bayityaa ayizange ihlale thuba lide ngenxa yemeko ezingavumelaniyo nale mithi.
Kutsha nje apha kwiminyaka yoo 1980, iSebe lezoLimo lilontshe iprojekthi ye sericulture kwiPhondo lase Mpumalanga, nalapho kuzanywe iindidi ezahlukeneyo zemithi ye mulberry. Le projekthi yenziwa yaba yeyabucala ngomnyaka 1994 ngethuba urhulumente eyeka ukuyixhasa ngemali ngenxa yeendleko eziphezulu kunye nengeniso ephantsi.
uProf Kas Holtzhuasen, nowaseka ukulinywa nokuphucula komthi we Marula, ukwabonwa njengomnye wabaququzeleli bokuseka le projekthi.
iMveliso
Iimulberries ziyachuma kwiindawo apho amaqondo obushushu angatshintsha tshintshi kakhulu. Zikwadinga namanzi amaninzi, ngoko ke kungcono zityalwe kwiingingqi ezinemvula ezina kakhulu.
Imulberry emhlophe igqiba amanzi ngeyona ndlela kwaye akusavumelekanga ukuyilima/ukuyityala ngaphandle kwempepha mvume. Imveliso ye mulberry iyasebenzisa kakhulu, kuba zonke iziqhamo kufuneka zivunwa kanye ngexesa elilungileyo. Akukho mveliso ingako kweli lizwe, ubuninzi beziqhamo ezifumaneka ezivenkileni zithengwe kumazwe angaphandle okanye zisuka kwimithi embalwa esekhona kwiifama eziphakathi elizweni.
Enye yezimbalwa kwii fama ze sericulture, ikwiPhondo lase Limpopo kufuphi nendawo yase Hoedspruit. Le fama yayinemveliso ey 6 ha ngomnyaka ka 2019, kodwa yonke lemithi ithenwa rhoqo ukuze ibemifutshane. Oku kwenza ukuba kubelula ukuyilawula nokuvuna. Ngenxa yoku ke, le mithi ivelisa iziqhamo ezimbalwa nezincinane ngokomlinganiselo. Amagqabi awasetyenziswa nje njengokutya kwe silkworms kodwa akwasetyenziswa nokondla iihagu.
Njengoko kuchaziwe ngumnini we Africa Silk’s owner, uRonel Swart, akukho mithi mitsha ityaliweyo sukela lefama yasekwa ngomnyaka ka 1994, ngenxa yomonakalo owenziwa yile mithi kwezinye izityalo.
iXesha Loku Vuna
Iimulberry ziziqhamo zase hlotyeni, kodwa iziqhamo zivuthwa ukusukela ekupheleni kwexesha lase Ntwasahlobo.
iiNdidi eZikhoyo
Kukho uluhlu lweendidi ezakhukeneyo zesi siqhamo. Ezona ndidi ziveliswa kakhulu kwilizwekazi lase Afrika zii Noi kunye ne Thai Sang. Ezi ndidi zathathwa kumazwe ase Thailand, kodwa ikwakhuliswa nakwiliswe lase Taiwan. Eyona nto intle ngezi ndidi kukuba azibina ntyatyambo naziqhamo zininzi, ngoko ke azinabungozi kwiintyatyambo zelizwe lase Mzantsi Afrika.
Zikwavelisa nendidi ebizwa nge Waterkloof, nesenokusetyenziswa ukuvelisa iziqhamo, kodwa zivelisa isivuno esincinane, ngoba lemithi ithenelwa ukuveza amagqabi amaninzi hayi iziqhamo.
iNtengiso
Zimbalwa iziqhamo ze mulberry ezithengiswa eMzantsi Afrika. Ubuninzi bemveliso ekhoyo ithengwa kumazwe angaphandle okanye ivunwe kwimithi ezikhulelayo engenzelwanga shishino.
iMisebenzi
Iimulberry kukutya okunezinongo ezininzi. Izele zii vithamin, minerali, faybha, anti-inflammatories kunye nee antioxidants. Zingonwatyelwa zinjalo, zisetyenziwe ekubhakeni, zikhenkceziswe okanye kwenziwa ngazo ezinye iimveliso. Zisenokusetyenziswa nakwiizimuncu muncu zase mva kokutya (desserts), ijusi, iti, iyogathi kunye ne jem. I-proteni ye silk ikwasetyenziswa nakumashishini epharmaceutical, prosthetics ne khozmetiki.
Translated by Zizipho Silwana