Santa Paula-based lemon and avocado grower Limoneira Co. said Aug. 3 that it’s dumping citrus distributor and marketer Sunkist Growers in favor of marketing and selling its lemons directly.

Limoneira said it will terminate the Sunkist agreement on Nov. 1, after which it will pack, prepare and ship its own lemons to to foodservice, wholesale and retail customers in North America, Asia and other parts of the world. The company also said that, starting in November, it will add commercial lemons to its existing specialty lemon sales.

“We believe the decision to market and sell our commercial lemons directly to our customers around the world will enable us to improve efficiencies throughout our distribution channels, resulting in the highest quality and service possible for our customers,” Harold Edwards, Limoneira’s president and CEO, said in a new release.

Limoneira, a publicly traded company, said it grows lemons on more than 1,800 acres throughout California and is one of the largest lemon producers in North America.

“With over 18 lemon brands, such as ‘Santa’ and ‘Paula,’ owned by Limoneira and our history of growing the highest quality lemons for over 117 years, we are well known in our industry and look forward to capitalizing on our leading position and expanding our brand recognition for many years to come,” Edwards said.