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Basketball-sized world-record grapefruit grown in Louisiana

Aug 27, 2019 | 1:31 PM

BATON ROUGE, La. — A basketball-sized grapefruit has brought two world records to a Louisiana couple.

The giant citrus grew in the yard of Mary Beth and Doug Meyer of Slidell.

The Guinness Book of World Records says it’s the world’s heaviest and largest in circumference.

It weighed 7 pounds, 14.6 ounces (3.6 kilograms) and measured 28 3/4 inches (73 centimetres) around. That’s almost as big around as an NBA basketball.

The grapefruit was 13.6 ounces (385.6 grams) heavier and 1 1/4 inches (3.2 centimetres) bigger around than the 2006 record, set in Brazil.

State Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain presented a Guinness certificate to the couple Tuesday in Baton Rouge. His department provided the equipment for the official weighing and measuring in January.

Spokeswoman Veronica Mosgrove says official word came recently.

The Associated Press