The world’s largest blueberry has been grown on an Australian farm, surpassing the previous record holder by a significant margin. This extraordinary fruit, resembling a ping-pong ball in size, was plucked from the vines in November and has been carefully preserved in a freezer ever since. Weighing an impressive 20.4 grams and measuring nearly 4 centimeters in width, this blueberry dwarfs its counterparts, boasting a size approximately ten times larger than the average berry.
A 16.2-gram specimen cultivated in Western Australia formerly claimed the title of largest blueberry in the world. However, this newfound champion, produced by the Costa Group, has raised the bar to meet the growing demands of consumers for larger, juicier berries. The Costa Group, renowned for its innovation in agricultural practices, has developed a new variety of blueberries known as Eterna under Costa's Variety Improvement Program (VIP), specifically engineered to produce quite large and firm fruit.
Record-breaking blueberry was cultivated by a dedicated team comprising Brad Hocking, Jessica Scalzo, and Marie-France Courtois, hailing from New South Wales, Australia. Their meticulous efforts culminated in the harvesting of this extraordinary fruit on the morning of Monday, November 13th, at the Costa Farm. Guinness World Records declared this week that the berry was the biggest ever recorded, after a 12-week gestation period. This achievement not only showcases the ingenuity and expertise of Australian farmers but also highlights the potential for further advancements in agricultural technology and breeding techniques.
With initiatives like this pushing the boundaries of what is possible, the future of farming looks promising, offering solutions to challenges such as food security and environmental conservation.
