World's Heaviest Plum, world record in Waboomskraal, South Africa

September 21, 2024

Waboomskraal, South Africa--South African farmers Dean and Deon Barnard have grown a giant plum, of the Autumn Treat variety, at their The Oppie Plaas Boerdery farm; weighing 464.15 grams (16.37 oz), the plum sets the new world record for the World's Heaviest Plum, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"South African farmers Dean and Deon Barnard have grown the world's heaviest plum, weighing 464.15 grams, according to Guinness World Records. The plum, of the Autumn Treat variety, weighed 480 g when it was first harvested, but moisture loss caused it to lose a few grams," the FreshFruitPortal.com says.

"The fruit is the size of a baseball and surpasses the previous record held by a Kiyo plum grown in Japan in 2021, which weighed 109.78 grams.

"The Barnards' plum was grown on Oppie Plaas Boerdery Farm, where they cultivate commercial plum orchards covering seven hectares."

"The heaviest plum is 464.15 g (16.37 oz), and was grown by Dean Barnard (South Africa), in Waboomskraal, South Africa, on 27 March 2024," the Guinness World Records says.

"The Oppie Plaas Boerdery farm commercially with plums and happened to discover an unusually heavy plum within the orchard."

"A pair of South African farmers harvesting their crops made a startling discovery: a record-breaking plum weighing in at 16.3 ounces. Dean and Deon Barnard, owners of the Oppie Plaas Boerdery farm, said they never set out to break records with their plums," the UPI reports.

"The plum is 3.8 ounces heavier than the previous record-holder, which was grown in Japan in 2021.

"Our area has a lot of very unique microclimates and that helps the plums a lot," Dean Barnard said. "We do soil samples yearly and then put into the soil what is needed. I also have a top plum specialist to help us with production and quality."

"The plum weighed 480 g when first harvested, but moisture loss caused it to shed a few grams. It belongs to the Autumn Treat variety, which Dean describes as crisp and sweet tasting," the EastFruit.com says.

"Dean and Deon have been farming plums for the past eight years, previously having zero knowledge about them. They also grow hops, almonds and pecans, although they’re currently replacing the latter two with more plums.

"Their plums take around seven months to grow, with flowering starting in September. They also found a couple of other record breakers among this year’s harvest, ranging between 400-450 g."

"With eight years of experience in plum farming, the Barnards have diversified their agricultural ventures to include hops and almonds, with a recent shift towards expanding their plum cultivation," the FreshPlaza.com says.

"The growth cycle of their plums spans approximately seven months, beginning with flowering in September. The Barnards' farm benefits from unique micro climates conducive to plum growth, supported by annual soil assessments and expert guidance to optimize soil conditions. This year's harvest also yielded several large plums, weighing between 400-450 g.

"Reflecting on the achievement, Dean Barnard expressed a mix of pride and astonishment at setting a new world record and is now motivated to grow a plum reaching the 500-gram mark, acknowledging the accomplishment as a significant personal and professional milestone."

"Dean and Deon Barnard, who own Oppie Plaas Boerdery farm, discovered the record-breaking fruit while harvesting their crops. They hadn’t planned to grow such a large plum; it came from a regular tree with about 150 plums," the Kiwi Kids News says.

"This giant plum is 107 grams heavier than the previous record-holder grown in Japan in 2021. The Barnards credit their farm’s unique microclimates and careful soil management for their success.

"Dean explained that they conduct yearly soil tests and work with a plum specialist to ensure high-quality fruit. Surprisingly, this record-setting plum was just one of several large plums in their latest harvest."

"This giant plum, which is as big as a mango and grown on a farm outside George, tipped the scales at 464,15 g – enough to make it the world’s largest plum yet. The farm grows the ever-popular Autumn Treat plums in the heart of the Outeniqua Mountains for export," the African Farming reports.

"This cultivar is known for its sweet taste and crisp texture – unlike Japanese and Chinese plums – and is a favourite overseas. The record plum easily dethroned its Japanese predecessor, a plum of 354,57 g that set the record in 2021. Dean, who was recently named the Western Cape Young Farmer of the Year and features in the latest edition of Landbouweekblad, sister title of African Farming, farms with his father, Deon.

"He came across the record-breaking fruit while going through crates of freshly harvested plums from their eight-year-old orchard. Oppie Plaas is known as a hops farm and the only plum producer in the valley. Autumn Treat is grafted onto Garnhan rootstocks and loves the good cold periods the valley has to offer."

Photos: World's Heaviest Plum, world record in Waboomskraal, South Africa

(1) African Farming

(2) Dean and his wife, Carla, and their children, Wean (11, left) and Deanca (13), with the enormous plum they entered for the Guinness World Records. Photo: African Farming

(3) Three generations of Barnards with their giant plum. At the back are Deon Barnard, his son Dean and Dean's son Wean (8). Photo: Kristy Kolberg/George Herald

(4) The plum when it was weighed for the Guinness World Book of Records in May this year. Photo: Kristy Kolberg/George Herald