Lesi sikhathi esiyingqopha-mlando siqhutshwa umbono wabatshalizimali nosomabhizinisi u-Gerrit van Zyl no-Piet Malan asebengabambisene iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-30, kuhambisana nobuchwepheshe bukaFerdi Ungerer wase-HortAfrique, kanye no-Reinhard Botes, oletha ulwazi lwezobuchwepheshe kanye nobuchule bokuchelela etafuleni. “Leli bhizinisi lihlanganisa amasu amasha, ukusimama kanye nesithembiso somnotho embonini yeGreat Karoo, libeka uPrince Albert njengomuntu ohamba phambili embonini ye-pistachio ekhulayo yaseNingizimu Afrika,” kusho uLinda.
Izihlahla ze-Pistachio, noma i-Pistacia vera, ziyi-dioecious, zinezihlahla ezihlukene zesilisa nezesifazane. Izihlahla zesifazane zikhiqiza amantongomane ayigugu, kuyilapho izihlahla zesilisa zinikeza impova, ngesilinganiso esivamile seduna elilodwa kuzo zonke izihlahla zesifazane ezingu-8-10, okuqinisekisa ukuvuthwa okuqhutshwa umoya. Isiphunzi se-Clone 2, esikhethelwe amandla aso nokubanda, sigxilisa lezi zihlahla emhlabathini wase-Prince Albert okhishwe kahle, one-alkaline, ofaneleka kahle ehlobo elishisayo laseKaroo kanye nobusika obuyisithwathwa. Kwatshalwa izinhlobo ezintathu eziyinhloko, i-Shufra, i-Ariyah kanye ne-Sirora, kwatshalwa izihlahla ezingu-5500 kanye nezinye izihlahla ezingu-20,000 ezihlelelwe isizini ka-2026, nokuningi kokuthuthukiswa kwengqalasizinda osekwenziwe. Ukulungiswa komhlabathi kuzoqala ngekota yesine ka-2025.
Ucwaningo oluqinile luqinisekise indawo kaPrince Albert njengelungele ama-pistachios, izimo zokubukisa ezindlini zamandla zomhlaba wonke njengeCalifornia, Iran neTurkey. Imvelo yalezi zihlahla imelana nesomiso iyachuma kule ndawo ewugwadule, iqiniswa izinhlelo zokuchelela ezithuthukile zePlatberg Farm. Ipulazi liziqhayisa ngengqalasizinda efana namandla elanga, uthango oluqinile kanye nezinhlelo zamahektha amakhulu ezihlahla eduze kwendawo yokukhiqiza kubonisa umbono oqinile. Ukuhlolwa okuyimpumelelo kuye kwaqinisa ukuzethemba, okufakazela ukuthi ama-pistachio angachuma lapha, njengase-Prieska, lapho imboni ye-pistachio yaseNingizimu Afrika yaqala ukugxila khona.
Amathuba emisebenzi asevele ehluma ekuthuthukisweni kwensimu kanye nengqalasizinda, nokuningi okuzoqhakaza lapho izihlahla sezikhiqiza ngokugcwele eminyakeni eyi-8-10. Njengoba iNingizimu Afrika idla amathani angu-150–200 ama-pistachio ngonyaka kodwa ikhiqiza u-10% kuphela wakuleli, isivuno sase-Platberg singaphakela izimakethe zasekhaya nezamazwe ngamazwe, kuphakamise u-Prince Albert njengomdlali ogqamile kwezolimo. Imiklamo efana nalena isikhumbuza ukuthi idolobhana lethu elincane liyaqhubeka nokuheha ongqondongqondo abasungula izinto ezihlanganisa isayensi nethuba, nokudala izinzuzo zezomnotho ezihlala njalo kubahlali bethu.
