I-Litchis isithelo esishisayo esivela eChina futhi besilinywa lapho amakhulu eminyaka. Yize iNingizimu Afrika, phakathi konyaka omuhle, ingaba ngomunye wabakhiqizi abakhulu be-litchi emhlabeni ngokukhiqiza amathani angama-8 000, isesemuva kakhulu kwamathani angama-200 000 eChina, okuwumkhiqizo wabo wokukhiqiza we-2018.
Izindawo Zokukhiqiza iLitchi eNingizimu Afrika
I-Litchis ikhula kahle ezindaweni ezishisayo, ezinomswakama nezingenamakhaza ezifundeni ezingaphansi kweNingizimu Afrika, ikakhulukazi ezingxenyeni ezisenyakatho-mpumalanga yeNingizimu Afrika.
Emkhiqizweni we-litchi waseNingizimu Afrika, ama-60% aqhamuka endaweni eshisayo yaseLowveld eMpumalanga aqhamuka emadolobheni afana neNelspruit, Hazyview neMalelane. Amanye ama-38% ama-litchis aseNingizimu Afrika avela eLimpopo - iTzaneen iyidolobha elikhulu elikhiqiza i-litchi - kanti namanye avela kwezinye izindawo njengesiFundazwe saKwaZulu-Natali.
Indawo ephelele etshalwe ngama-litchis eNingizimu Afrika yayingama-1 124ha ngonyaka we-2016.
Iskhathi sama-Litchi eNingizimu Afrika
Isizini iLitchi eNingizimu Afrika iqala phakathi maphakathi no-Okthoba ezindaweni zokuqala zaseMalelane naseKomatipoort eMpumalanga, iziqongo ngoDisemba futhi iphela ngasekupheleni kukaFebhuwari ngezithelo ezathelwe eNelspruit, Tzaneen naseLouis Trichardt.
Izibalo ZeLetchi zaseNingizimu Afrika
Ukuthatha izibalo zokukhiqiza eMnyangweni wezoLimo, amaHlathi kanye nezokudoba (i-DAFF), umbiko we-'South African Litchi Market Value Chain' oshicilelwe ngonyaka we-2017 uveze ukuthi ngomkhiqizo waminyaka yonke ngamathani ayi-8 411, cishe angama-55% athunyelwa kwamanye amazwe kwathi kwasebenza ama-32%. Imali esele eyi-13% yathengiswa ezimakethe zaseNingizimu Afrika, iningi layo ngabathengisi abangahlelekile. Kokuthengisiwe, cishe 90% iya e-European Union, ikakhulukazi eNetherlands.
Inani lokuthengiswa kwe-litchi lango-2016 lalingu-R760 million.
Isitshalo sika-2018/2019 samathani angaba ngu-4 800, sasiphansi kakhulu uma siqhathaniswa namathani ayi-10 400 akhiqizwe ngonyaka ka-2017/18. Lokhu kungenxa yesimo sezulu esingesihle ngesikhathi sokuqhakaza, ukusetha kwezithelo nokukhula kwezithelo ezindaweni zokuqala zokukhiqiza zaseMpumalanga.
Ukukhiqizwa KweLitchi Emhlabeni Wonke
Cishe ama-96% wokukhiqizwa kwe-litchi emhlabeni avela eNyakatho Nenkabazwe neChina, iTaiwan, Vietnam, Thailand neNdiya ekubeni ngabakhiqizi abaphambili. I-China ingumkhiqizi omkhulu we-litchi emhlabeni futhi inomthelela cishe kuma-70% wokukhiqizwa komhlaba.
I-Afrika, i-Australia neMadagascar bangabakhiqizi baseningizimu ye-hemisphere. I-Australia inesikhathi eside kakhulu sokukhiqiza i-litchi futhi ingakhiqiza i-litchis ukusuka ngo-Okthoba kuya ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli ngenkathi iMadagascar ingumkhiqizi omkhulu we-litchis eYurophu. Umkhiqizo omningi weMalagasy litchi uvela ezihlahleni ezikhula zasendle futhi awunawo ama-pesticide.
Umlando Wokulims I-Litchi
I-litchi yendabuko engxenyeni eseningizimu yeChina kanye nenyakatho yeVietnam futhi ibilinywe khona amakhulu eminyaka. Yasakazekela eNdiya ngawo-1700s futhi kungenzeka yasakazekela eNtshonalanga ngemuva kokutholwa kwayo eChina ngesithunywa sevangeli sasePoland. Ukulima iLitchi kwaqala eWest Indies ngonyaka we-1775 futhi kwakhula ezindaweni zokugcina izithombo eBrithani naseFrance ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-1800s.
I-Litchis kungenzeka yaqalwa eSouth Africa ngeminyaka yo-1870 isuka eMauritius, lapho kuvela khona izithombo zokulima ezikhulayo zamanje ze-litchi. Umuthi wokuqala we-litchi watshalwa eBotanical Gardens yeTheku futhi wasakazeka wasuka lapho waya ezindaweni ezingenamakhaza eMpumalanga naseLimpopo.
I-South Africa Litchi Growers 'Association (SALGA) yasungulwa ngonyaka we-1975. AbakwaSALGA basiza ngocwaningo lwe-litchi, olusekela abalimi ngolwazi oluhlobene nobuchwepheshe kanye nemakethe futhi luthuthukisa izimakethe ezintsha ze-litchi.
Translated by Nsika Khoza