A Hawaiian farmer grows avocados the size of a newborn baby

Fruit Logistica Agricultural Trade Fair
Getty Images | Sean Gallup

The humble avocado has been having a moment lately. Between Starbucks Avocado Frappucinos, and research that shows that an avocado a day can prevent metabolic syndrome, this tasty fruit is more popular than ever. And in Holualoa, Hawaii, a farmer is growing what are believed to be the largest avocados in the entire world.

Kenji Fukumitsu and his family have been in the avocado-growing business for 80 years, and they are now turning out avocados the size of newborn babies. Yep, a tree that was first grafted by Fukumitsu’s older brother in 1941 grows avocados that weigh, on average, over six pounds.

Many of the oversized avocados are donated to the Urgent Care of Kona, a medical center in the area.

“We had so much, all falling down,” Fukumitsu told This Is Insider of his abundant yield. “And the pigs eating it, so I share them with some of our friends. If you eat it during November month, they’re very watery. But after that, it’s good.”

Dr. Joy McElroy, a physician at Urgent Care of Kona, thought the avocados might be big enough to break a Guinness World Record. She contacted the organization about Fukumitsu’s more than 6-pound avocado and was told it would take about 12 weeks for it to be authenticated. The current title holder for the world’s biggest avocado belongs to fellow Hawaiian Felicidad Pasalo, who had a 5-pound, 8-ounce avocado. Unfortunately, the fruit is unlikely to make it long enough to get the official title.

Check out McElroy and Fukumitsu talking about the oversized avocado in this video from Big Island Video News:

“We contacted Guinness, got online,” McElroy told UPI. “The problem is they have to have someone to authenticate … which takes 12 weeks. Well, this baby isn’t going to last 12 weeks, so that’s why we called the news.”

For his part, Fukumitsu is not concerned about recognition for his oversized fruit.

“We didn’t think nothing of it,” he told the outlet. “We just pick and eat it. And we sold some.”

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About the Author
Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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