The first batch of Vietnamese seedless lychees exported to the UK via official channels arrived in the country on June 16.

The lychees were imported by TT Meridian - a distributor of Vietnamese lychees and agricultural products in the UK.

Retail prices for the seedless lychees range from £16-18 per kg, or £3-4 higher than for regular lychees, according to the company.

If the quality and price find favor among UK consumers, the company plans to import about one tonne a week during the Vietnamese harvest season in June and July.

The seedless lychees were grown in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa’s Ngoc Lac district.

According to Thanh Hoa’s official portal, Ngoc Lac seedless lychees are produced under VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards and qualified for export to Japan, Canada, and Europe.

This is the fourth fruit from Vietnam to be officially exported to the UK, joining grapefruit, red grapefruit, and Cao Phong oranges.