THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Guess what has made it to the Limca Book of Records this time? A jumbo African Yam, weighing all of 275 kg! The 2011 Limca Book has listed the yam, harvested by R Raveendran of Ulloor, Thiruvananthapuram, as the heaviest of its kind.The entry reads: “In 2010, R Raveendran (b Nov 29 1954) of Ulloor, Trivandrum, Kerala, harvested an unusually big African Yam (Dioscorea Rotundata), locally known as ‘Kaachil,’ which weighs 275 kg. While the normal weight of the crop is up to 25 kg, Raveendran has a history of producing giant yams organically.”“It took ten men to lift it on to the truck when I took the yam to the Central Tuber Crop Research Institute (CTCRI) for the weighing last year,” says Raveendran, who is familiar with the people of Thiruvananthapuram for the big yams.This traditional farmer has set aside 5.5 cents of his-40 cent plot for his farming pursuits. His love affair with African Yams began in 2005, when a relative presented him with one.“He, in fact, gave it to me saying I should cook half and use the other half for seed. He said I could get a 5-6 kg crop from it,” remembers Raveendran. But when harvesting time came, Raveendran was astounded to find a 50-kg yam. That was the beginning.In 2006, he bettered his record by producing a 72-kg yam, doubled the size in 2007 by harvesting a 130-kg yam and the same year, astonished fellow farmers with a 165-kg yam.“Next year, it was 172-kg,” he says with pride. The original seed, he says, came from CTCRI, and he thanks Dr C S Raveendran of CTCRI for his help and technical support in his endeavours. Raveendran also distributes the seeds of his crops, but few have been able to replicate his results.“I have given out the yam seeds to more than 700 people. One farmer came up with a 102-kg produce,” he says. Raveendran also hopes to get his yam into the Guinness Book.You can contact Raveendran on 9048282885.
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