Mr Chuwudumebi Innocent Nwaogwonuwe, a peasant farmer in Ubulu Uku town, Delta State, South-south Nigeria has shattered existing world record of largest cassava tuber when he harvested an over 10-foot-long cassava tuber weighing over 200 pounds in his private farm.
Volunteers and students at the farm of the University of the Nations in Big Island Hawai, United States held what was considered the world record when they harvested a 184-pound cassava tuber in August 2012.
Mr. Nwaogwonuwe who hails from Onicha-Okpe quarters in Ubulu-Uku, told Political Economist that he did not use fertilizer to grow the cassava or any other crop in his farm along Issele-Uku road.
According to him, he noticed that the plants, yam and cassava, planted in the farm which used to be occupied by bamboos, were so rich that it showed in their stems and leaves.
The cassava did not enjoy any special treatment but he added that because of the existence of bamboo on that piece of land and the decay of bamboo leaves two years after he first cultivated the land, “the soil became very rich.”
“I harvested no fewer than four other tubers from this particular cassava stem but one of them appeared different. As I kept digging to unearth it, I noticed that it was still stretched with no sign of its end. So I kept digging with care not to mistakenly cut it until I reached the end. It did not grow into the subsoil rather it spread along the surface soil except that it was covered with earth.
“I could not believe my eyes when I eventually pulled it out of the ground. I had to invite my neighbours from adjoining farms who helped me to tie it to a motorcycle for onward journey home. Even with all our carefulness, we still lost parts of the cassava tuber because it crawled on the ground and got cut at different times on top of the motorbike. It was just too long to be carried on a motorbike, he told Political Economist.
He continued: “I was advised by some people to carry it to Asaba to show Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, but I lacked the logistics to do so, besides I don’t know anybody that would lead me to him or any top government official in the state’s Ministry of Agriculture. I would like my governor to extend help to rural farmers like us.”
“I would like to meet the governor some day on account of this. It’s a thing of joy as I was told it is now the biggest cassava tuber ever harvested in the world.
“I have been getting calls from individuals from Lagos, Abuja and other places who called to congratulate me on this feat and I am happy. I believe that God will one day reward farmers like us so we can get the recognition that we deserve.”
The giant cassava has turned the town to a tourist centre as people from other parts of Delta state have been streaming into Ubulu-Uku to catch a glimpse of the monster cassava tuber.
Mr. Nwaogwonuwe, a six-footer, was effectively dwarfed by his cassava tuber when he displayed it at his home.
Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava scientifically called Manihot Esculenta. It was said to have been imported into Nigeria in the 16th century from Brazil by Portuguese explorers.
