Riaan
I-New York
CNN
–
Iziphepho ezinamandla nezimvula ezinamandla ezihlasele iCalifornia emasontweni asanda kwedlula zingase zibe yindlela yokuphila imboni eyodwa – kanye nemiphakathi ethembele kuyo ukuze iphile – eyidinga kakhulu.
Ngemuva kweminyaka yesomiso, i-California isithole imvula enkulu ngo-2023. Yize ibidingeka kakhulu, iziphepho ezinamandla ezilandelanayo nazo. acekela phansi umbuso amasontoukudala izikhukhula eziyingozi kanye nodaka oluholela okungenani bangu-20 abashonile kanye nezigidigidi zamaRandi ekulahlekelweni kwezomnotho, ngabanye izilinganiso.
Kodwa kwenye ingxenye yombuso, imiphakathi ekhathazekile isilungele ukwamukela imvula eyengeziwe.
I-Sacramento Valley iyisizinda sokukhiqizwa kwerayisi eCalifornia. Uma uke wadla i-sushi e-US, irayisi enamathelayo cishe iwuhlobo lokusanhlamvu oluphakathi olubizwa nge-Calrose, olutholakala e-Golden State. Cishe yonke irayisi ye-sushi yesizwe ivela eCalifornia.
Ukulima irayisi – isitshalo esihlala emanzini – kudinga inala yamanzi. Phakathi nenkathi yokutshala nokukhula kwembewu, eqala ngo-March kuya ku-August, abalimi bakhukhula amasimu erayisi ngamanzi angaba amasentimitha amahlanu.
Kodwa iminyaka emithathu ilandelana yesomiso esifundazweni iye yabhaka amakhulu ezinkulungwane zamahektare ezisimini zerayisi eziluhlaza zaseSacramento Valley ezweni elomile eliwugwadule.
“Njengoba ngidlula eSacramento Valley, ngibone amasimu elayisi amaningi avulekile angenalutho,” kusho u-Andrew Broaddus, isazi somnotho wezolimo nomongameli we-Wells Fargo Agricultural Services. “Kungenxa yokuthi umhlaba osetshenziselwa ukulinywa kwerayisi ngeke usetshenziselwe esinye isilimo.”
Unyaka ngamunye odlulayo wesomiso, amazinga edamu aye ehla, ehle aze afike kuhhafu wezilinganiso zawo zomlando, noma ngaphansi. Ukwabiwa kwamanzi okulawulwa uhulumeni emapulazini elayisi kwakungasaqinisekisiwe, futhi kwabaningi kuwo, kuma ngokuphelele.
Ngenxa yalokho, ukukhiqizwa kwerayisi eSacramento Valley kwehle kakhulu, kusho uTim Johnson, umongameli kanye ne-CEO yeCalifornia Rice Commission, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo emele abalimi nabaphathi berayisi abangaphezu kuka-2,500 XNUMX esifundazweni.
“Lokhu wukwenza noma wukwephula unyaka kubalimi abaningi namabhizinisi embonini. Siyethemba ngempela ukuthi izivunguvungu ezinkulu esibe nazo kusukela ngoNovemba zizokwenza amabhizinisi asemapulazini aziphilise abalimi kanye nemiphakathi yasemakhaya lapha ngokwejwayelekile.”
Cishe amahektha angu-500,000 elayisi avame ukukhiqizwa ngonyaka ovamile eSigodini saseSacramento. “Ngo-2022, bekuyingxenye yokutshala okujwayelekile, kumahektha angama-250,000,” kusho uJohnson.
Izitshalo zelayisi zifaka imali efinyelela ku-$5 billion ngonyaka kanye namashumi ezinkulungwane zemisebenzi emnothweni waseCalifornia. Ngonyaka odlule, amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-750 kanye nemisebenzi engaphezu kuka-5,000 yalahleka njengoba ukulima ilayisi kanye nemisebenzi ehlangene nayo ima, ngokusho kweKhomishini.
“Umphumela wawo we-spider web usabalele embonini nasemadolobheni asemaphandleni asendaweni yelayisi. Izigayo nezindawo zokomisa irayisi zinciphisa amashifu, izinkampani zamaloli nezokulima zalahlekelwa yibhizinisi,” kusho uBroaddus.
UGreg Ponciano uyimeya yase-Colusa, idolobha elise-Colusa County esifundeni sase-Sacramento elinabantu ababalelwa ku-6,000, futhi liphakathi kwabakhiqizi berayisi abahamba phambili esifundazweni.
Ukuphila kweColusa umnotho wayo wezolimo, okusho ukuthi isomiso, ikakhulukazi eside, singaletha igalelo elikhubazayo emphakathini wayo.
“Siphakathi nezwe elayisi. Indlela ibhizinisi lerayisi elihamba ngayo ukuthi umnotho uhamba kanjani,” kusho uPonciano. “Isomiso seminyaka emithathu lapha sesiphenduke utshani obuphule umhlane wekamela.”
Ubale imiphumela ebuhlungu ngalokhu: “Abalimi abakwazi ukulima, amapulazi alahlekelwe abasebenzi, amabhizinisi kaphethiloli nawomanyolo asiza ukuqhuba amapulazi ayeka ukudiliva. Ngisho nezindawo zokudlela zakuleli zilahlekelwe yibhizinisi,” usho kanje.
I-Colusa County ngokomlando itshala cishe amahektha ayi-150,000 elayisi. “Bekungaphezu kwamahektha ayi-7,000 ngo-2022,” kusho uPonciano. Uthe njengoba umsebenzi uyahwamuka, eminye imindeni yagcwala yaphuma iyofuna umsebenzi kwezinye izindawo.
Yize enethemba lokuthi izimvula zakamuva zizoletha impumuzo, ukhuluma iqiniso. “Sidinga imvula engaphezulu kwesizini eyodwa ukuze silulame. Isizini eyodwa ngeke isikhiphe kulokhu,” kusho yena.
URichard Richter, 70, ongumnikazi weRichter Aviation, uthe indodana yakhe, uNick, kudingeke ukuthi ithole umsebenzi kwesinye isifunda ehlobo eledlule ngoba isomiso simise isidingo samabhanoyi ezolimo endaweni encane yabalimi baseMaxwell, eColusa County.
“Sengisebenze amathini kusukela ngo-1983. Eminyakeni engu-40 angikaze ngibhekane nesomiso esifana nalesi. Akukaze kwenzeke,” usho kanje.
Cishe u-95% wamakhasimende akhe ulima irayisi. Izindiza zakhe zisetshenziswa ngesikhathi sokutshala sika-April-May-June ukuze ziwise imbewu emasimini erayisi. “Leso yisikhathi sethu esimatasa kakhulu,” esho.
Ngonyaka odlule ube nesihluku kuye. Ngonyaka ojwayelekile, zonke izindiza zakhe eziyisikhombisa zizodingeka. Ngonyaka odlule, kwasetshenziswa eyodwa kuphela.
“Kusilahlekisele kakhulu ngemali engenayo. Imvamisa senza imali efinyelela ku-$3 million ngonyaka kwisamba semali engenayo. Ngonyaka odlule ibe ngu-$600 000,” kusho uRichter. “Bekubi nje.”
U-Richter nendodana yakhe bobabili bandizisa izindiza. Ibhizinisi liphinde lisebenzise abashayeli bezindiza besikhashana abane. “Bekumele sibadedele. Indodana yami iye e-Indiana amasonto amahlanu ehlobo eledlule iyofuna umsebenzi,” kusho yena.
Njengoba inkathi yokutshala yalo nyaka isondela ngokushesha, u-Richter unethemba elikhulu. “Ngibheke ngabomvu ukuthi isicelo sizobukeka kanjani,” kusho yena.
Kanjalo noSteven Sutter, oyi-CEO yeCalifornia Heritage Mills, eseMaxwell.
Lo msebenzi, ogaya, uhlukanise futhi uhlanganise irayisi, uphethwe imindeni engu-17 yabalimi esebenze umhlaba eSacramento Valley izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
“Sijwayele isomiso lapha. Onyakeni ojwayelekile wesomiso, sisengakwazi ukuhlinzeka amakhasimende ethu u-80% womkhiqizo,” kusho uSutter. Yehle ngokushesha yafinyelela ku-10% kuya ku-20% kamuva nje.
“Asikaze sikwenze lokhu ngaphambilini, kodwa empeleni kudingeke ukuthi sithenge irayisi ukuze sinakekele izidingo zamakhasimende ethu,” kusho uSutter. “Okubi kakhulu wukuthi kudingeke ukuthi sidedele abantu abangu-30 kusukela ngoJanuwari odlule. Sasivame ukugijima amashifu amathathu izinsuku ezinhlanu ngesonto. Lokho kwehle kwaba yi-shifu eyodwa nje izinsuku ezinhlanu ngesonto.”
Uthe izivunguvungu ezinamandla zalo nyaka zinyuse izinga lamadamu. “Sezisondele ezilinganisweni zomlando, kodwa azikagcwali. Kusesekuqaleni kwesizini yokulima, kodwa sinethemba lokuthi sizofinyelela ku-50% wamanzi esiwabelwe endaweni.”
Abanye esifundeni banethemba lenzuzo eyodwa futhi: ukubuya kwezilwane zasendle, kuhlanganise namadada namahansi asebenzisa amasimu elayisi njengendawo yokuhlala yemvelo.”
UJohnson uthe izinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-230 zezilwane zasendle ezisebenzisa amasimu elayisi njengendawo yemvelo.
“Ngemva kwenkathi yokuvuna, isibhakabhaka phezu kwamasimu elayisi sasigcwala amahansi namadada,” esho. “Kunalokho, leso sikhathi manje sesithule. Asikaze sibone izinyoni ezingaka muva nje.”
