It's the time of year that sparks heated debate and passionate comparisons between Shepard and Hass avocado varieties when the latter is unavailable on supermarket shelves.
The much-loved Hass variety is in season from May to January, and outside of these months Shepards hit the shelves from mid-February to mid-April.
But many consumers say the Shepard falls short and preparing an iconic smashed avo breakfast using the variety is nearly impossible.
Avocados Australia chief executive John Tyas said while Shepards had their place in the market, the negative attitudes towards the variety were polarising.
"There's definitely some serious haters out there," he said.
"Whether the [negative media attention] impacts demand, I don't know."
Why grow them?
Avocados are produced year round in Australia with Hass representing 83 per cent of production in 2021/22, equating to just over 41,000 tonnes.
The Shepard variety made up 14 per cent of total production, bringing in 9,900 tonnes.
Australia is the only country in the world to commercially grow Shepard avocados, with far north and central Queensland the only producing regions in the nation.
Queensland farmer Jim Kochi, who grows both varieties at his property in the Atherton Tablelands, said the main reason Shepards were grown was to fill the gap in supply around autumn.
"There are about 8,000 to 9,000 trees here, Shepards are about less than 10 per cent, the majority is Hass because of our altitude," he said.
"Shepard is only cultivated in Australia and only in Queensland because it's what we call a green skin low-land cultivar," he said.
A green skin cultivar is an avocado that always stays green, even when ripe and doesn't brown when it is cut.
Mr Kochi said Hass was the most traded avocado variety worldwide.
"The Hass variety was established in California, but its genetics are high land, which means in places like Mexico it can grow up to 2,000 meters above sea level," he said.
"People have different tastes, but I mean, if we only ever stuck with one vegetable or one fruit, it'd be a very boring life."
Coping during Shepard season
Mr Tyas said many consumers found it challenging to know when the Shepard variety was ripe because the skin colour didn't change.
"Unfortunately, that means you actually have to have to touch the fruit and feel them," he said.
"We suggest people gently press the stem end area to test their ripeness, then you can keep them on the bench until they're exactly how you like them."
Although he would not reveal his favourite variety of avocado, Mr Tyas said the best way to eat Shepard avocados was by adding them to salads or green smoothies.
"It's great for salads and things where you want to keep its beautiful, bright green and gold colour," he said.
"I think consumers that understand the fruit, know how to handle it and are used to eating it, absolutely love it."
