Bee Sweet Citrus is expanding its packinghouse to include a state-of-the-art mandarin facility adjacent to California Highway 99 in Fowler.
Construction for the company’s new facility broke ground in early 2022. The facility is expected to be fully operational during the 2022–2023 citrus season. The 213,000-square-foot building will include cold storage; holding and degreening rooms; washing, sorting and packing lines; and a large shipping and dock area.
“Delivering a project of this magnitude, despite the supply chain and inflationary challenges ushered by COVID-19, is a testament to the resolve Bee Sweet brings to growing, packing and shipping the best fruit,” said Ladd. “This is a recipe that spells success for the grower and the packer; it’s a win-win.”
All of Bee Sweet’s varieties, including its mandarins, are marketed under the Bee Sweet Citrus label. The company grows, packs and ships approximately 10 different varieties throughout the year. It ships fruit throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific Rim countries, including Japan.
According to Bee Sweet, California’s citrus industry is set to collectively harvest approximately 66,000 acres of mandarins throughout the 2022–2023 citrus season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April citrus crop forecast left California’s tangerine and tangelo crop projection unchanged at 21 million boxes for the 2021–22 season.
Source: Bee Sweet Citrus
