I-US isiqala ukuvula kabusha njengoba imigomo isiza ekulawuleni i-COVID-19. Uma sekushiwo lokho, izobukeka kanjani imakethe yangemva kobhubhane ezimakethe zikaulethisi kanye nama-microgreens?
Umlimi Wokushisa Okushisa ubuze izinkampani ezintathu ukuthi zisibona kanjani isimo samanje sezimakethe ze-lettuce ne-microgreens nokuthi zibona kuphi imakethe ibheke emhlabeni wangemva kobhubhane. Nazi izinto ezibalulekile ongazithatha.
Ukuncintisana kwemakethe ye-ulethisi
Ngokusho kukaDonald “DJ” Grandmaison, iSales and Marketing Manager kwa lēf Amapulazi, imakethe ye-lettuce ye-greenhouse ikhule ngokuncintisana kakhulu. Lokhu kuncintisana sekuholele izinkampani ezifana ne-lēf ukuthi ziphishekele ubudlelwano obuqinile nabathengisi bazo.
"Eminyakeni emihlanu edlule, kuye kwaba nokwanda kwabalimi be-greenhouse kanye nemvelo elawulwayo emkhakheni we-lettuce, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisenyakatho-mpumalanga ne-Mid-Atlantic," kusho u-Grandmaison. “Lokhu kudale ukuncintisana okukhulu ezitolo, ikakhulukazi uma kubhekwa indawo encane yokudayisa imikhiqizo emisha namasaladi apakishiwe. Ipulazi lethu lisebenze kanzima ekuthuthukiseni ubudlelwano nabalingani bethu abakhulu bezitolo.”
Izintandokazi nezifiso zabathengi
Uma kukhulunywa ngokuthandwa ngabathengi, u-Grandmaison uthi ubona abantu beshintshashintsha ukuze bakhethe ukwakheka kwe-romaine noma i-iceberg namaphrofayili e-flavour. Usebonile nokuthi iziqholo zenze amakhanda ezitolo ezinkulu.
"Sifake izinhlobo eziningi ezilingana naleyo phrofayili ekuhlanganisweni kwethu ukuze sinikeze ukuthungwa okwengeziwe kanye nokwengeza," kusho u-Grandmaison. “Siyaqaphela futhi ukuthi ama-mustard nemifino enamahlamvu okubabayo idonsa ukunaka kwabathengi, okudale isidingo esikhulu senhlanganisela yethu yezinongo ethengwa kakhulu.”
Abathengi nabo banentshisekelo enkulu yokuthi imifino yabo itshalwa kanjani, ngokusho kukaViraj Puri, Gotham Imifino Umsunguli kanye ne-CEO. Abantu bafuna ukwazi ukuthi imifino yabo ayinazo izifo ezitholakala ekudleni futhi itshalwa endaweni.
"Abathengi bafuna ukuthi kube sobala kakhulu ukuthi ukudla kwabo kukhiqizwa kanjani futhi kuphi, ikakhulukazi uma kubhekwa ukwanda kwezifo ezitholakala ngokudla okuhlobene nokulima endaweni evulekile," kusho uPuri. “Ama-Hydroponic greenhouses asenza sikwazi ukukhulisa umkhiqizo othembekile nophephile unyaka wonke. Ulethisi otshalwe ku-greenhouse nawo ungavame ukukhiqizwa kakhulu endaweni kunolethisi ojwayelekile kanye nemvelo. Izinto zasendaweni ziyaqhubeka nokubona isidingo esikhulu sabathengi.”
Intengo ye-lettuce ye-greenhouse nama-microgreens
Kunemibono emibili uma ubheka intengo yemifino eluhlaza enamaqabunga. I-Grandmaison ibona ulethisi otshalwe ku-greenhouse kanye nemifino emincane njengokulanda amanani aphezulu kunezinhlobo ezitshalwe ensimini ngenxa yobusha nekhwalithi.
"Kusukela ekuhlaziyeni kwethu, sibona ukuthi ulethisi otshalwe ku-greenhouse nama-microgreens aqhubeka nokuphindaphinda kabili uma kungenjalo intengo eshalofini," kusho u-Grandmaison. “Njengesibonelo, umkhiqizo wethu uthengisa ngenani lika-$16 kuya ku-$20 iphawundi lapho iCalifornia [ulethisi otshalwe ensimini] ithengiswa ngo-$6 kuya ku-$11 iphawundi.”
Ku-Serdar Mizrakci, i-CEO ye Element Farms, intengo ayikona ukuqhathaniswa kwama-apula nama-apula. Ubona amanani entengo njengesisusa esibalulekile sokuthola abathengi abaningi ukuthi bazame imifino eluhlaza etshalwe yi-greenhouse.
“Siqhathanisa izimfanelo ezihlukene zomkhiqizo,” kusho uMizrakci. “Uma kubhekwa lowo mehluko wekhwalithi, intengo ilapho okufanele ibe khona ukuze abathengi baqale ukucosha ama-greenhouse [amaqabunga amaqabunga]. Ngicabanga ukuthi esikhathini esizayo esiseduze, ngibona igebe lentengo livaleka.”
Ikusasa lokuzalanisa
Njengoba izinhlobo ze-ulethisi zasendlini ziqhubeka nokuncintisana kakhulu nozakwabo abakhule ensimini, izinkampani ezizalanisayo ziyaqaphela. Izinkampani zembewu manje sezinaka izidingo zemvelo ezilawulwayo njengoba abalimi be-greenhouse beba abadlali abakhulu emakethe.
"Ngokomlando, yonke imizamo yokuzalanisa ibiqondiswe kwezolimo zasensimini njengoba ulethisi utshalwa ngaphandle," kusho uPuri. “Abakhiqizi basendlini (amapulazi abamba ukushisa kanye namapulazi amile) basebenzisa izinhlobo zembewu yelethisi yasensimini. Abafuyi bebelokhu becela abakhiqizi ukuthi bazame izinhlobo zensimu ezidumile kanye nezinhlobo ezindala okungenzeka ukuthi abalimi basensimini bebengazithandi kodwa ezingaba nezici ezikhangayo kubalimi basendlini.”
I-Mizrakci ingathanda ukubona abalimi bekhipha izinhlobo eziningi eziluhlaza okotshani ngaphandle nje kwe-ulethisi, njengoba kunemifino eminingi enamaqabunga njengesipinashi ne-arugula engashintshwa ukuze ifane ne-greenhouse.
"Noma yikuphi okuluhlaza okunamaqabunga, okungewona ulethisi, okukhiqiza izitshalo ezinesivuno esiphezulu ngonyawo lwesikwele ngasinye, futhi ezingatshalwa kalula - yilokho abalimi okufanele bagxile kukho," kusho uMizrakci. “Ngiyazi ukuthi abanye abalimi benza umzamo nezinsiza kukho, nokho.”