THE ‘Readycado’ could be the solution to avocado-lovers woes.

The new Avocado Firmness Decision Aid Too is specifically designed to help shoppers tell when avocados are at their prime without smooshing them to death.

When applied to an avocado, a pressure sensor attached to the thumb triggers green LED lights on the tool’s display showing if the avocado is ripe enough for salad, or for a guacamole dish, and if pressed too hard, a red warning lights come on.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said research showed Queenslanders loved avocados to death by frequently squeezing the fruit too hard.

“We want to take the pressure off this much-loved delicacy and make it easier to assess just how ripe an avocado is without bruising it in the process,” Minister Furner said.

“Under a project funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has worked with The University of Queensland and Avocados Australia to come up with a tool that eliminates the need for handling avocados in stores.

“The tool is still a prototype, but it’s the way of the future.

“Once commercialised, they could become commonplace in shops within three to five years. There is also a big opportunity for an adaptation of the tool to be used in fruit vending machines, which are becoming increasingly popular.

In recent years, the growing demand for avocados has seen local production increase significantly.

The main growing areas in Queensland are the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg-Childers district, Central Burnett, Atherton Tableland, Tamborine, Toowoomba range and the Lockyer Valley.