MONMOUTH — Maine apple orchards are seeing light but early harvests this year.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator and fruit tree specialist Renae Moran said some apple harvesting already is under way, a week or more earlier than is customary.

“I’m starting to see it with the early varieties and I think it’s going to happen with Macintosh,” said Moran, a plant soil, pomology and environmental sciences specialist. “Spring was three weeks early and a lot of orchards have a light crop because of the freeze” in late spring.