Taiwan breeds giant tangerine

Taipei (CNS) -- The Taiwanese agricultural authority announced on Wednesday that 15 years of research has culminated in the "giant Ponkan," a tangerine one to three times bigger than normal and likely to be a world record breaker.

The main researcher showed the attendees at the press conference one of his "giants," which is about 10 cm in diameter and weighting 600 grams approximately. Moreover, it is likely to weigh more than one kilogram through future efforts.

Ponkan, also called Chinese honey orange, is a member of the tangerine family grown widely across the Taiwan Island. The advent of the giant breed is expected to achieve transportation efficiencies and arouse market interest, which are hoped to create more profit for the island farmers.

The mega-tangerine is not only bigger, but more juicy and tasty than normal ones. The breed is now flourishing on a pilot plantation run by the island's agricultural institute and some small farmers where it is producing double the average yields of normal breeds.