Some apple farmers in New Brunswick are having a hard time keeping up with this year's harvest due to an early crop and shortage of seasonal workers.

The early spring and recent rain have created bountiful crops, said Blair Stirling, who owns Appleman Farms in Gagetown.

The fruit is ripening quickly and some varieties are ready to be picked now, he said.

"We've got a good size and they look good on the tree so far. I know there is some hail around the province some apple growers got hit with, which makes it a challenge for those orchards, but generally there's a good crop of apples and good quality."

The challenge is getting the apples off the trees before they drop because it's difficult to find enough workers who are willing to pick, said Stirling.

"People …will come out and give us a hand, come out and pick, that'll give us a hand and get them picked, that's always the big challenge is enough people around the farm to get them in and if the weather co-operates so people can work every day to get them harvested."

Stirling says he's noticed demand for full-time seasonal work is down this year.