Abaniko-like pineapple harvested in Agusan del Sur

An extraordinary pineapple was harvested at a farm in Agusan del Sur—eight pineapples fused together to form one single piece, which ended up shaped like an abaniko.

As seen in Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras Weekend," Sunday, the main fruit is at the center with the leafy crown surrounding it in a semi-circular shape. The whole piece weighs over six kilograms.

Abelardo Batiangcila, Sr., the farmer who harvested the pineapple, said he planted it normally. So how did the fruit end up like this? 

"Ang ganoong case ay tinatawag po 'yon na fasciation," said Romel Cortones, an agriculturist. "Hindi po factor ang pagtanim to harvesting. Ang cause po ng fasciation ay possible hormonal imbalance, genetic mutation, bacterial, viral, fungal."

The fruit remains edible, but Batiancila passed on it.

"Hindi na namin gagalawin, hindi namin kainin," he said. "Parang hulog ng langit."

Why do pineapples have many "eyes" in its skin?

According to Kuya Kim, pineapple is a fusion of several fruits from individual flowers. The so-called eyes are the remnants of these flowers, and the number of eyes indicate how many fruits combined to form one pineapple.

Christopher Columbus found pineapples in America in 1493. In 1664, European explorers named the fruit "pineapple" because of its resemblance to a pine cone.

The pineapple plant can grow up to five feet high. The biggest pineapple recorded, meanwhile, was owned in Christine McCollum of Bakewell, Australia in 2011. It measured 32 cm high and weighed 8.28 kilograms.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News