据外媒报道，近几周以来，澳大利亚人喜爱的牛油果（Avocado）一直缺货，其价格不断走高，目前已达到7澳元一个。业界称这是因为夏天雨水和山火所致，但根据调查，目前短缺是由于人为市场操纵造成。
据报道，媒体调查发现，牛油果供应不足是蔬果产业为在圣诞节期间促销，实行市场操纵造成的。
澳大利亚鳄梨协会前会长艾伦（Antony Allen）称，我认为这是一个错误。市场销售人员的意愿是好的，但操作有误，造成了现在的局面。西澳鳄梨种植园在夏季为澳大利亚供应大多数的鳄梨，当地一些种植者误以为圣诞节后消费者对鳄梨的需求会下降，所以在圣诞节前提供了大量的鳄梨。
部分原文报道如下：
For weeks the avocado industry has blamed rain and bushfires for Australia's summer shortage, which has seen wholesale prices double, retail prices spike to $7 per fruit, and avocado rationing.
But Fairfax Media can reveal the supply crisis was the industry's own doing; a result of market manipulation aimed to boost sales in the lead-up to Christmas.
“I think it was an innocent mistake,” said Antony Allen, former chief executive of Avocados Australia and president of the International Avocado Society. “It was done with the best intentions. It's a misunderstanding of how the markets work, and now we're in uncharted territory.”
