Paramount Citrus, Delano, Calif., will be adding 1,000 acres to its 30,000 acres of citrus with the purchase of 1,000 acres in eastern Fresno County, Calif.

Paramount is buying the land from long time fruit growers, the George Family. Paramount plans to use the land for the expansion of its Clementine production.

“The George family members have been excellent stewards of this land for generations, and we’re excited to add such premium holdings to our portfolio of citrus properties,” said David Krause, president of Paramount Citrus.

Paramount Citrus plans to convert the land for Clementine production by 2011. Meanwhile, the company will lease the land to the deciduous crop operators. The purchase, which is expected to be complete in mid-December, is for land only and does not include the George Brothers business or packing facility.

“We’re a citrus company and will stay one. This purchase further positions Paramount for future growth and success, and we see this as an opportunity to continue meeting our customers’ growing demand for citrus, particularly Clementines and the Cuties California Clementines brand,” Krause said.

In October, Paramount Citrus announced the expansion of its organic navel acreage by more than 300 acres, making the company the single largest grower of organic navels in the U.S. Earlier this year, in March, Paramount Citrus purchased an operation in Mexico that added 6,000 acres, primarily lemons, to the company’s portfolio.

Paramount Citrus is the largest integrated grower, shipper and packer of fresh citrus – Clementine mandarins, Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, lemons and other citrus varieties – in the U.S. More than 10 million cartons from more than 30,000 acres of fresh citrus from its groves are shipped annually throughout North American and the Pacific Rim, and processed from its facilities in the San Joaquin Valley and Mexico. The Cuties California Clementines brand is a partnership between Paramount Citrus, Sun Pacific and Fowler Packing. For more information, please visit www.paramountcitrus.com.