As the mid-summer heat hastens the ripening of blueberries on Vancouver Island, local farmers are struggling to find pickers willing to brave scorching temperatures in the fields.

The recent hot weather has been both a blessing and a curse for blueberry farmers. While crops are peaking earlier than in 2017, the fruit is quicker to soften and pickers are scarce as temperatures soar over 30 C, farmer Phil Christensen told Jason D’Souza host of CBC’s On The Island.

“The extreme heat is not working with us. It’s making it very difficult for pickers, whether they be the pros or the U-pickers,” he said.

He says crops