POPULAR summer fruit mango has started popping up in fruit aisles in Warwick, two months earlier than the season usually begins.

But despite the slightly earlier start, mangoes and other stone fruit such as nectarines and peaches remain some of the last truly seasonal fruits.

Shoppers have become accustomed to buying all kinds of produce all year round, which has made eating in season somewhat of a foreign concept.

Warwick Farmers Market and Aratula Market owner Alf Turrisi said mangoes required tropical conditions in order to grow, which is why they had remained a luxury available at certain times of the year.

But in general, the concept of "normal” seasonal production was changing.

Produce such as tomatoes, apples and green leafy vegetables are now fully stocked on shelves all year round.

Mr Turrisi said technology such as cold storage, transport and growing practices allowed the life of produce to be prolonged.

Different varieties of fruits and vegetables were also being created to meet year-round demand.

"All these varieties are being bred to get better and better so that's aiding having them at all times of the year,” he said.

In a large country like Australia, produce also has to be transported over large areas, which affects when it is picked.

"We have a huge area and small population so it has to travel further,” Mr Turrisi said.

"Fruit has to be picked greener to last the distance.”

With mangoes now hitting the shelves and stone fruits starting to make an appearance, Mr Turrisi said it was expected to be a bumper season with reasonable prices.

Mr Turrisi said mangos boasted a strong season every two years, demonstrating a natural lifecycle now rarely seen in other produce varieties.