LGS Specialty Sales — a citrus, avocado, grapes and persimmons importer — has introduced Darling Dekos, a Chilean-grown dekopon mandarin program, which is designed to add to dekopon availability in late summer and fall.
Sold under the company’s Darling label, the brand’s 2026 season marks its trade debut, with fruit shipping from LGS’s Chilean growing regions beginning in early August.
The company says that while dekopons run in a fixed winter calendar from January to April, Darling Dekos will add to the supply calendar for August through October rather than compete directly with the established winter program. The company says shipping is expected to run primarily through mid-September, with retail availability extending into October depending on supply.
LGS Specialty Sales says Darling Dekos are grown from the same dekopon variety, which is known for its sweetness, large easy-peel segments and signature top-knot shape. The shiranui is a cultivar first developed in Japan in 1972 and its signature flavor comes from a balance of high Brix and acidity, which creates a sweet, bright taste.
“Every year, we hear the same thing from retailers: Shoppers keep asking for dekopons long after the season ends, and they have no source of supply,” says Luke Sears, founder and owner of LGS Speciality Sales. “We’re not here to compete with the brands that first created demand for this variety. We just want to offer a second window of availability that retailers can delight their shoppers with.”
Chile is a prime region to source dekopons from due to its citrus season falling counter to U.S. production, according to LGS Specialty Sales. The company says it ships directly into New Jersey, placing the fruit within efficient reach of the retail corridor east of the Mississippi River, with West Coast distribution expected to follow as volume grows.
The program will begin with an estimated 12 containers in 2026, with more than 200 expected by 2030.
“This program was designed for the long term,” says Lucio Rainelli, director of sales at LGS Specialty Sales. “We’ve spent years developing these farms, and our production forecast is based on real planted acreage already in the ground, not projections on paper. Retailers who come on board now are getting in early on a program built to support sales growth for years to come.”
