Less than two months after major U.S. citrus group Sunkist Growers announced it had incorporated Mulholland Citrus in the cooperative, the California-based entity stands to benefit from a fresh expansion.

In a release today, Sunkist said its affiliated citrus packer-shipper Porterville Citrus had acquired the packing operations of LoBue Citrus.

Through the agreement, the LoBue family will continue to own and operate their family farms, consisting of 1,000 acres of citrus, extending their family’s heritage through the Sunkist cooperative.

"LoBue Citrus has a rich history in the industry, and we are pleased to be able to help them continue that legacy through our organization,” said Porterville Citrus president Jim Phillips.

“The purchase also marks further growth for Porterville Citrus, positioning us for a strong season ahead.”

In the upcoming 2017-2018 season, Porterville Citrus will integrate the LoBue Citrus packing facility in Lindsay into its operations and also add a large portion of the organization’s grower network, increasing the Navel orange, mandarin, lemon and specialty acreage of Porterville Citrus and the Sunkist cooperative as a whole.

“It’s great to start the season by adding more high quality volume to our mix," said Sunkist president Russ Hanlin.

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