Boxes of Vietnamese seedless lychees imported by TT Meridian. —Photo VNA

LONDON — The first batch of Vietnamese seedless lychees arrived in the UK late last week, becoming the fourth specialty fruit of Việt Nam exported via the official channel to the demanding market this year.

The batch was imported by TT Meridian – a distributor of Vietnamese lychees and agricultural products in the UK. The seedless lychees were grown in the north central province of Thanh Hóa’s Ngọc Lặc District.

According to Thái Trần, managing director of the company, the retail price of the seedless lychee ranges from 16-18 GBP per kg, 3-4 GBP higher than the normal one.

If its quality and price are welcomed by the UK market, the company will import about one tonne a week in June and July – the harvest season of lychees in Việt Nam.

The company's whole process from harvesting the fresh fruits at farms in Việt Nam to selling them in the UK takes only 36 hours.

According to Thanh Hóa’s official portal, Ngọc Lặc seedless lychees are produced following VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards qualified for export to Japan, Canada, and Europe.

The fruit when ripen has a bright red colour, with its crispy pulp tasting slightly sweet. This variety, imported from Japan, has been grown across 30ha in Ngọc Lặc by Hồ Gươm-Sông Âm High Tech Agriculture Limited Liability Company since 2019. This is its first year of harvest with an estimated output of over 20 tonnes.— VNS