Bio ethanol										Zulu



IBio-ethanol – kwenzekani ngokuphathelana nezepolitiki? 



Instructions: 

Folio strap: IBio-ethanol

Byline: UJenny Mathews, umphathisihlalo weprogramu leGrain SA lokuthuthukisa abalimi abasakhulayo 



Uma ufunda amaphephandaba uzokwazi ukuthi kukhona ingxoxo enkulu maqondana nomthetho ozophatha ibiofuels. Uzokwazi futhi ukuthi abaningi abalimi abatshala ummbila baphathekile ngoba bacindezelwa ukukhiqiza ukudla okudingekayo, manje batshelwa ukuthi bafanele bakhiqize ummbila ukuze kwenziwe uphethroli nedizili. Ngaphezu kwalokhu sekukhona izazi ezihamba phambili ezithi umsebenzi wokwenza i-ethanol uzosiza ukukhiqiza ukudla nangakusasa.



Abalimi abatshala ummbila baphathekile ngoba intengiso yommbila ikhuphuka kakhulu bese iyehla kakhulu futhi – lokhu kuhambelana nokubakhona komvuno omkhulu noma omncane. Iminyaka emibili edlule bekukhona umvuno wommbila omningi kakhulu, kodwa intengiso yase yehla ngokumangalisa – ngakho-ke abalimi bebaphathekile ukuthola ezinye izindlela zokuthengisa ummbila wabo.



UWessel Lemmer, isazi esiphakeme ngezindaba zezomnotho eGrain SA, wathi ukuthi iRSA ikhiqiza ummbila ongu-8,6 miliyoni thani njalo ngonyaka, kodwa inelikhono lokkhiqiza 12 miliyoni thani. Ngaphezu kwamahektheli angu-1 miliyoni akwazi ukuhlwanyelwa awalinywa ngenxa yentengiso engaphansi eminyakeni edlule eyishumi nambili. Abalimi bebaphathekile ukufikela enaneni lezindleko zokuqala ukulima ezikhuphukayo njalo, futhi bebangazi ukuthi bazothola intengiso engakanani ngoba iyehla bese iyakhuphuka. Konke lokhu kwenze ukuthi abalimi baqale ukusola ukuthi ukutshala ummbila kuzobalethela inzuzo ethembekile. Ngamazwi akhe: "If we have a market for the potential three million tonnes, we are making a huge contribution to economic growth in this country." Lokhu kusho ukuthi uma kukhona imakethe lalomkhiqizo kuzosekela ukukhula kwezomnotho ezweni lethu ngendlela emangalisayo.



Kodwa kukhona abanye abasolayo ngoba bacabanga ukuthi uma ummbila usetshenziswa ukwakha amandla (energy), kuzokhuphukisa intengiso yommbila ngendlela ezokwenza ukuthi abantu ezweni elithembekile emmbileni ukuthola ukudla abasakwazi ukuthenga lowo kudla. NgoJulayi 2007, uNgqongqoshe weScience neTechnology uMosibudi Mangena, wathi abaphathimandla sebaqala ukusola ukuthi ukusebenzisa ummbila ukwakha amandla ahlukile kuyinto ezolunga ekugcineni. Babuza imibuzo elandelayo: “Uma sikhiqiza i-ethanol ngoshukela nangommbila kuzokwenzekani ngomkhiqizo kokudla kwabantu ekugcineni?”

 

NgoAgosti 2007, umongameli webhange elikhulu laseNingizimu Afrika, uTito Mboweni, waxwayisa ukuthi ukwenza i-ethanol ngommbila emhlabeni jikelele kukhuphukise intengiso yokudla kakhulu. Watshela igavumente ukuthi uyazi ukuthi ibiofuels liyadingeka ukukhiqizwa, kodwa uyasola ukuthi ngummbila owenza i-ethanol kuzoba inkululeko – ucabanga ukuthi ukusebenzisa ushukela (umoba) kuyindlela engcono.



IGrain SA, kanye neAgribusiness Chamber, kanye neNational Agricultural Marketing Council kanye nabaphathi beSA Biofuels Association (SABA) basebahlangana noMmz. Mboweni bamnikeza umbiko ochaza okuhle okungavela lapho kusetshenziswa ummbila ukwenza i-ethanol futhi usizo oluzotholakala emkhiqizweni kokudla kommbila njalonjalo. 



UAndrew Makenete, umongameli weSABA, ukholwa ukuthi umsebenzi wokwenza ibiofuel uvula izikhala ezinsha zomsebenzi ngezizathu ezahlukene. Kuzodonsa ukufaka inzuzo emaphandleni bese umsebenzi wokulima odingekayo uzothuthuka kulezo zindawo futhi kuzosiza abalimi abasha kakhulu ezweni lethu. ISABA ifuna ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika iqonde ngendlela ezongenisa izinhlobo zokudla ezahlukene njengommbila, umoba, ibhithi loshukela, amabele nokunye ukwenza ibiofuel nokukhiqiza ukudla.



Omunye umuntu osekela uhwebo lokwenza i-ethanol ngommbila nguKobus Lindeque, uMD waseMonsanto laseSub-Saharan Afrika. Ukholwa ukuthi umsebenzi wokwenza i–ethanol ngommbila odingekayo kakhulu kuzovulela uhulumeni isikhala esihle sokunikeza abalimi abamnyama abasakhulayo ithuba lokubabuyisela emapulazini maqondana nomthetho kahulumeno ukunikeza abalimi abanyama umhlaba ukulima. 



Emva kwesikhathi esikhulu, ngoDisemba 2007, uhulumeni waphumisa umbiko wabo mayelana neBiofuels Strategy. Okulandelayo sikuthole kulowo mbiko. Sikubhala ngesiNgisi lapha kodwa ekugcineni sizozama ukuchaza ukuthi bathini ngamazwi azwekayo.



“A significant change to the draft strategy is to adopt a short term focus (5 year pilot) to achieve a 2% penetration level of biofuels in the national liquid fuel supply, or 400 million litres per annum. The target has been revised down from the 4,5% target that was initially proposed in the draft strategy document. The following crops are proposed for the production of biofuels in the country: for bio-ethanol, sugar cane and sugar beet and for biodiesel sunflower, canola and soya beans. The exclusion of other crops and plants such as maize and Jatropha is based on the food security concerns. Further research is still needed to test usability of these in the country.



“A number of potential investors have expressed interest in biofuels development. Some sugar industry players are already producing bio-ethanol for the potable and export alcohol markets and are developing fuel ethanol capacity in neighbouring countries. Some maize growers, in collaboration with private investors, have announced their intention to build several maize-to-ethanol factories. This has faltered due to uncertainty over regulations and incentives and due to the significant increase in local and world maize prices. The maize price increase has occurred largely due to the USA, which produces about 50% of world traded maize, diverting 25% of its crop to ethanol production, as well as to the phasing down of agricultural export support. The global maize price increases and the shortage of basic food stuffs in Mexico, which were directly linked to biofuels investments, have influenced South Africa to exclude maize use in its initial stages of biofuels development.”



Ngokufushane uhulumeni ushilo ukuthi kukhona inkinga mayelana nenani lokudla kwabantu okuzobakhona ngesikhathi esizayo uma ummbila ungasasetshenziwa ukwenza ibiofuela ekuqaleni, kodwa amasu abo ngokubuka ngaphambili asathi kufanele kubekhona umkhiqizo we-2% webiofuels ngo-2013.



Ungqongqoshe uLulu Xingwana umeme iGrain SA ukuxoxana emva kokunikeza umbiko olandelayo:



Umnyango wokukhiqiza ibio-ethanol ngommbila awuvalwanga

Ungqongqoshe uLulu Xingwana umeme iGrain SA kanye neAgri SA neNAFU ukuxoxana. Ingxoxo beyiqonde ukuchaza isinqumo sikahulumeni ukususa ummbila ekukhiqizweni kwebiofuel. Utshele umhlangano ukuthi isinqumo sikahulumeni siqonde ukuvimba ukuthi kungeke kubekhona ukudla okwanele okukhiqizwa ngummbila uma ummbila usetshenziswa ukukhiqiza ibio-ethanol njalonjalo.



Waphinda wathi uhulumeni awusho ukuthi ummbila awungeke usetshenziswe ngale ndlela uma ukhiqiziswa ngobukhulu obuningi, futhi kungaxoxanwa noNgqongqoshe weMinerals and Energy, uMs. Buyelwa Sonjica mayelana nalokhu. Kufanele ithimu elibhekene nokukhiqiza ibiofuels liqhubeke uma iNingizimu Afrika likwazi ukukhiqiza ummbila ongaphezu kwalowo odingekayo ukudlisa abantu. 



Ukuthuthukisa lo msebenzi kudingeka ukuthi kukhiqizweke ummbila omningi kakhulu ukuze ungqongqoshe ekwazi ukutshela uhulumeni kufanele ukuthi ukulima kommbila kungene emsebenzini wokwenza ibio-fuels. Into ebalulekile kakhulu yilokhu: khulisa futhi yandisa imakethe lalomkhiqizo omkhulu ukuze kubekhona isiqiniso sokuthi kuzobakhona nokudla okwanele zonke izindawo.



