Ukulima i-Alpaca eNingizimu Afrika kungumboni osemusha. Kuqale ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-2000s lapho izilwane ezingama-60 zazingeniswa eChile nguDkt Gavin Lindhorst, umfuyi we-alpaca ovela e-Inca Vale Alpacas eduze naseWellington eWestern Cape.
Ama-Alpacas agcinwa njengezilwane ezifuywayo, ukuqapha ngempumelelo izimvu zezimvu, zokuzalela imfuyo kodwa ikakhulukazi ngefreyimu yazo esezingeni eliphakeme esetshenziselwa izingubo ezelukiweyo nezisukiwe.
Ama-Alpacas anezinyawo ezigxile, okuyisistimu yokugaya esebenza kahle futhi abonisa ukumelana okuphezulu kwezigciwane zangaphakathi nezangaphandle. Lezi zici, kanye ne-fibre yayo yokufakelwa efanelekile yezingubo zokunethezeka, inika i-alpaca epulaziwe amandla amakhulu okukhiqiza uboya be-alpaca.
Yini I-Alpaca?
I-Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) yizilwane ezincelisayo ezihlobene nomndeni wamakamela waseNingizimu Melika futhi zivela ezintabeni zase-Andes eningizimu yePeru, iBolivia, i-Ecuador nengxenye esenyakatho yeChile. Iningi lama-alpacas ayizigidi ezi-3 kuya kwezi-5 eMelika eseMelika atholakala ePeru, ezindaweni ezi-3 000 m ngaphezu kolwandle.
Ama-Alpacas ayizinhlobo ezifuywayo zama-vicuñas, ama-ruminants aseNingizimu Melika (ukuthena kuyizilwane ezinesisu esinezingxenye ezine) ezibuye zahlala phezulu e-Andes. Amanye amalungu alo mndeni wamakamela afaka i-llama nenkamela enamakhanda amabili ase-Bactrian avela e-Asia.
Yize behlinzeka inyama yabantu bamazwe abo okuzalwa, ama-alpacas ikakhulukazi abelwa uboya babo ngenkathi abazala babo, ama-llamas ama-sturdier, befulelwa ukuthwala imithwalo esindayo. I-alpaca enemilenze emide ikhula ibe ngu-94 - 104 cm (ehlombe) futhi ingakhula ngesisindo esiphakathi kuka-55 no-85 kg. Baphila kuze kufinyelele eminyakeni engama-20 futhi baba nesikhathi sokukhulelwa izinyanga eziyi-11.5.
Ama-Alpacas aqaphile, afuna ukwazi, azolile futhi aqagela futhi adinga ubungane bezinye izintaba. Lezi zilwane ezinomusa nezikhaliphile kulula ukuzisingatha futhi ngokushesha ziba yizilwane ezifuywayo ezinganeni nezinja.
I-Alpacas isebenzisa imisindo (isb. A hum hum soft) nolimi lomzimba (isb. Izihlokwana zekhanda nokunyakaza kwendlebe) ukuzikhulumela. Banamehlo amahle kakhulu futhi bezwa futhi bangase basebenzise umsindo we-staccato-like alamu lapho bebona ingozi. Lapho bethukile bayohamba njengomhlambi futhi bangahle bakhale lapho besaba noma becasukile.
Ngenkathi ama-vicuñas asendle akhula ezindaweni ezimanzi eziphakeme nezomile noma ezingenamanzi amancane, ama-alpacas ezifuywayo afanayo avumelana nezimo futhi aqine kepha atholakala kakhulu ezilimini nasezifundeni zamahhala ze 'free-range'.
Ukukhiqizwa Kwe-Alpaca Emhlabeni
I-Peru, lapho kutholakala khona ama-alpacas amaningi, anezakhi zofuzo ezihamba phambili nezindawo ezisebenzayo zokulungisa imicu. Ngumkhiqizi omkhulu kakhulu wezingubo zohlobo lwe-alpaca nezwe, okunikela cishe ngama-80% wemikhiqizo ye-alpaca emhlabeni.
Izinkomo zaseCanada, American, New Zealand kanye nezase-Australia ziyanda futhi kubikezelwa ukuthi ngonyaka ka-2020 America zingakwazi ukufaka isandla kuze kube ngama-25% womkhiqizo we-alpaca emhlabeni.
I-China ingenisa kakhulu i-alpaca fibre emhlabeni.
I-Australia isithuthuke kakhulu maqondana ne-alpaca genetics nokuthuthukiswa kokuzala futhi ingumthombo omuhle wama-alpacas angeniswa lapha eNingizimu Afrika.
Ukusetshenziswa Kwe-Alpacas
Ngenkathi ama-alpacas ayizilwane ezifuywayo ezazikhonza njengabangane bazo, imithombo yokudla nefayibha ezizweni zasendulo ezazihlala ezintabeni zase-Andes; ama-alpacas eNingizimu Afrika adotshwa kakhulu i-fibre yawo. Imicu emihle kakhulu isetshenziselwa ukugoqa kanye nezingubo zokugqoka ezishintshashintshayo kusuka ezingutsheni zezingane kuya kumasudi okunethezeka.
Abantu baseNingizimu Melika abangamaQuechua abasezingeni eliphakeme basadla inyama ye-alpaca, kepha isilwane asisetshenziselwa ukuthengisa inyama noma ubisi. I-alpaca inezibalo ezincane kakhulu - usayizi wamaphoyinti wepensela - futhi kunzima kakhulu ukuyiphuza ngobisi ngesandla.
Abesilisa bakwa-Alpaca nabo bayizilwane zokuqapha ezihamba phambili kanti futhi zisetshenziswe ngempumelelo enkulu njengabaqaphi bezimvu emihlambini yezimvu eNingizimu Afrika. Banomqondo ongokwemvelo wokwalusa futhi uzokhafulela, ukumemeza, ukulume nokukhonkotha noma iziphi izisulu ezisongela 'umhlambi wazo.
Ama-Alpacas futhi athengiswa njengezilwane zokuzalela ukuze kuthuthukiswe izakhi zofuzo kwamanye amakhophi we-alpaca futhi zenze nezilwane ezifuywayo ezihlakaniphile nezinomoya omnene.
Translated by Nsika Khoza