Most of us eat some type of specialty crop every single day. Whether you’re eating your fruits and vegetables, or even using certain seasonings to help complete that perfect dish, you’re using specialty crops.
Naphezu kokusabalala kwezitshalo ezikhethekile - kanye neqiniso lokuthi njengamanje inenani lemakethe lama- $79.8 billion (okuhlanganisa ngaphezu kuka-16% wesamba somkhiqizo wezolimo) - ngokuvamile le ngxenye yezolimo ayinakwa.
Kulula ukuqonda ukuthi kungani. “Izilimo eziyisipesheli” yigama elibanzi uma kuqhathaniswa, futhi elihlanganisa izinto eziningi ezahlukene. NgokoMthethosivivinywa Wezolimo ka-2004, kuchazwa izitshalo ezikhethekile “njengezithelo nemifino, amantongomane ezihlahla, izithelo ezomisiwe, i-horticulture, nezitshalo zasenkulisa (kuhlanganise ne-floriculture).” Ngisho nale ncazelo ibanzi, uma kubhekwa ukuthi imikhiqizo eminingi ehlukene ingawela ngaphansi “kwezithelo” kanye “nemifino.” Futhi ngokuvamile, uma sikhuluma ngezolimo, ukugxila kuzithola kuhloswe kakhulu ezitshalweni ezilandelanayo noma ezolimo zezilwane. Ngenkathi izitshalo zomugqa zenza izitshalo ezimbalwa ezikhethiwe ezivame ukuvunwa ngenhlanganisela futhi zakhe ingxenye enkulu yamapulazi ase-US, izitshalo ezikhethekile zivame ukutholakala eCalifornia naseFlorida.
Kodwa-ke, inani lezitshalo ezikhethekile ezitshalwayo likhula kakhulu ezindaweni kulo lonke elase-United States. Izilinganiso zakamuva zitholakele manje kunamapulazi ezitshalo ezikhethekile angaphezu kuka-184,000 athatha amahektha angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-10.4 zamapulazi. Ngaphandle kweqiniso lokuthi ukukhiqizwa kwezitshalo okukhethekile kwase-US kuyingxenye enkulu yokukhiqizwa kwezolimo kwase-US, kubhekene nezinselelo eziningi ezibalulekile.
U.S. producers often find themselves at a disadvantage on a global (and even domestic) scale because, in most areas across the country, year-round production is impossible. And, unlike with row crops, specialty crops can’t be raised in bulk and stored to be sold throughout the year due to freshness concerns. In addition, specialty crops are often much more weather sensitive than their counterparts. This makes them extremely vulnerable to instances like the recent extreme weather seen across the southern part of the U.S., one which resulted in specialty crop losses of more than $600 million.
Ukwenza izinto zibe zimbi nakakhulu, ukukhiqizwa kwasekhaya nakho kuthinteke kakhulu ngenxa yempi yokuhwebelana eqhubekayo. I-US iyaqhubeka nokungenisa imikhiqizo eminingi yezitshalo ezikhethekile, ezehlisa amanani asekhaya, futhi amanye amazwe ashaye izitshalo ezikhethekile ezikhiqizwe e-US ngamanani aphezulu. Okwamanje, I-Europe ibeke imali engaphezu kwezigidigidi ezi-4 zamarandi emikhiqizweni eminingi yase-US. Imithelela yalezo zindleko ingaba mikhulu, nge NC State estimating sweet potato exports alone potentially seeing a reduction of $70 million.
And, as is the case with most things, specialty crops have been negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Before COVID-19 emerged last spring, kwalinganiselwa ukuthi ukukhiqizwa kwamasitrobheli aseFlorida kukodwa kwakuntula u-30% womsebenzi owawuwudinga. Izitshalo ezikhethekile zingenye yezinhlobo zezolimo ezidinga abasebenzi abaningi ezikhona namuhla. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi imisebenzi eminingi ithembele kakhulu kubasebenzi bezolimo besikhashana be-H-2A. Ngesikhathi sodlame, abaningi balaba basebenzi banqanyulwa ukuba beze e-US, futhi labo ababevunyelwe kwadingeka babe nezindawo zokuhlala ezikhethekile, njengoba abakhiqizi nabo kufanele banikeze laba basebenzi izindlu. Ngisho nangaphambi kwalolu bhubhane, nokho, isidingo sabasebenzi sase sidlule kude ukunikezwa.
Nakuba kunezinselelo eziningi, akuzona zonke izindaba ezimbi zomkhakha wezitshalo ezikhethekile. Izinga lokukhula lonyaka lika-2.6% kulindeleke phakathi neminyaka eyishumi ezayo, Futhi amanani ezimpahla asevele enyuke cishe ngamaphesenti angama-40 kusukela ngo-2011. Ekugcineni, nokho, kusazobonakala ukuthi izinselelo ezibhekene nezitshalo ezikhethekile zizonciphisa izinga abakhiqizi abangakwazi ngalo ukusebenzisa amathuba okukhula.
Ukwenyuka kokuqamba okusha phakathi kwabakhiqizi bemishini
Specialty crops are often sold in the form they are harvested, largely because aesthetics matter to many consumers. This has made developing harvesting equipment even more difficult, as most people don’t want to buy bruised or damaged fruits and vegetables. As a result, several manufacturers have found ways to develop machinery that can harvest these products in a gentle enough way, so as not to damage the product. Doing so has helped make the equipment more appealing and for some specialty crop products, such as potatoes, harvesting equipment has been around for ages. However, for most harvesting equipment is still relatively new and not as widely adopted.
While the mechanization of specialty crop harvesting has been slow and very difficult due to the nature of the crop and consumer expectations, a number of products are already on the market today, including harvesters from AEM member companies New Holland, Pellenc, Gregoire, The Morning Star Co. and Oxbo.
Eminingi yale mishini ingakwazi ukuhambisana nokuphuma kwabantu abangu-20 ngehora. Lokhu kuhamba ibanga elide ekusizeni ukubhekana nokushoda kwezisebenzi le mboni ebhekene nazo, kanti futhi kuhlinzeka ngomthombo wokudla ophephe kakhudlwana nonokwethenjelwa. Ekwehliseni izidingo zabasebenzi, imishini iphinde ithuthukise amamajini abakhiqizi ngenxa yezindleko ezincishisiwe zomsebenzi ebezingadingeka. Sekukonke, benza imboni ihehe kakhulu ngokombono womkhiqizi ngokusebenzisa izilinganiso ezithuthukisiwe kanye nombono wabasebenzi ngenxa yokuncipha komsebenzi owenziwe ngokomzimba kanye nemisebenzi ekhokha kangcono, yamakhono.
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM”s) Specialty Crops Leadership Group
The previously mentioned harvesting companies, along with John Deere (specialty crop tractors), Kubota (specialty crop tractors and sprayers), and GUSS Automation (autonomous orchard sprayers), comprise AEM’s newly formed Specialty Crop Leadership Group. The group was formed in alignment with AEM’s Ag Sector Board’s recently approved priority of expanding AEM’s reach and role into specialty crops. Ultimately, the purpose of this group is to help identify how AEM can better serve the specialty crop industry as a whole. Throughout the upcoming year, plans are in the works to educate both end user and regulators about specialty crops – specifically why specialty crops matter and the importance of making people aware of the technologies that exist.
Despite being often overlooked by the general public, specialty crops are now among the largest agricultural outputs in the U.S. today. And, as previously mentioned, both opportunities and challenges exist for what is one of the most labor-intensive industries around. However, AEM is committed to working with company leaders to better meet the needs, wants and demands of equipment end users who have helped make the specialty crop industry what it is today. Accomplishing all these things, and many more, is what AEM Leadership Groups are all about.
Funda kabanzi mayelana ne AEM’s Specialty Crop Leadership Group futhi other leadership groups like it.
- Austin Gellings, Association of Equipment Manufacturers Agricultural Services Manager