A modern railway corridor has been a game changer for players in the fruit and vegetable value chains, reducing transit time, freight costs, emissions and the risk of damage to the produce, Shah said.

　　He hailed the Naivasha dry port, which measures 45,000 square meters with capacity to handle 2 million tonnes of cargo annually and serves Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for easing the transportation of fresh produce.

　　The planned extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Kisumu and on to Malaba, on the Ugandan border, will enable Kenyan horticulture firms to penetrate the regional market, Shah said.

　　When China's zero-tariff policy, covering 53 African countries, came into force on May 1, Shah was among the Kenyan avocado exporters who welcomed the move, saying it will encourage local firms to add value to the highly nutritious fruit.

　　Kenya is the third-largest avocado supplier to China after Peru and Chile. In 2025, the country earned 175 million U.S. dollars from total avocado exports, with exports to China valued at 6.6 million dollars, said Paul Kipronoh Ronoh, principal secretary in the State Department for Agriculture.

　　"Other products having great potential for exports to China under the zero-tariff policy include flowers and macadamia nuts," Ronoh said at a seminar on jointly advancing China's proposed global development and governance initiatives, held after the tour of the Vertical Agro Group packhouses.

　　Ronoh noted that Naivasha is one of Kenya's major horticulture farming hubs, with local exporters using both the SGR and the inland depot seamlessly, translating into lower logistical costs, enhanced market connectivity and a reduced carbon footprint.