Specialty plateau industries thrive in Xizang's booming economy

LHASA -- Cering Qoizha is excited at the prospect of his company's expansion: a new workshop, which will process 5,000 yaks each year, is set to open in September and will be a major milestone in the company's growth.

Established in 2009, the Garqoi Ecological Animal Husbandry Development Company is located in Xagqu township of Nyainrong county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region — an area with an average altitude of 4,700 meters.

What began as a small firm has now become a regionally leading enterprise, specializing in yak and sheep breeding, frozen meat processing, dairy production and the processing and sale of tsampa, which is a traditional Tibetan staple food made from highland barley flour. Committed to bringing premium agricultural and pastoral products from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to broader markets, the company currently manages 2,520 hectares of pastureland, as well as over 1,200 yaks and sheep.

"We now employ 115 staff members," said Cering Qoizha, the company's vice-general manager. Of that total, 12 are management personnel who were formerly local unemployed graduates of universities and colleges, and the rest were recruited from low-income households in the county.

The company's high-quality products have driven its continuous expansion over recent years, leading to the establishment of stores in Xizang's Lhasa and Nagqu cities, and in Chengdu, the capital city of the neighboring Sichuan province.

"These efforts have significantly boosted the brand profile of northern Xizang's livestock products," he said.

In 2024, the company's total sales surpassed 13 million yuan (about $1.82 million). With ambitious plans for 2025, the firm is targeting annual sales of 20 million yuan.

In Qamdo city's Banbar county, a burgeoning black goat breeding industry has recently drawn significant attention.

Nutritional analyses confirm Banbar black goat meat contains substantially higher concentrations of potassium, protein and amino acids than typical goat meat, along with lower cholesterol levels — making it a premium and health-conscious choice.

"The county now maintains a high-quality breeding stock of over 6,200 animals," said Tan Bo, head of the county's agriculture and rural affairs bureau.

"By integrating our specialty black goat breeding with tourism initiatives, including the establishment of dedicated black goat meat restaurants serving premium products to visitors, we've created a powerful new driver for rural revitalization," Tan said.

Highland barley, the staple food for residents of Xizang, is now at the heart of a major distillery project in Chagyab county, which is located in Qamdo city.

With an investment of 1 billion yuan, the project is set to be built into a modern industrial park featuring a highland barley grain warehouse, yeast production workshop, brewing facility, storage units, packaging workshop and testing lab, according to Feng Juyao, deputy general manager of Xizang Kangjiu, the company in charge of the project.

"The facility is set to begin operations in August," Feng said. "At full capacity, it will produce 5,000 tonnes of unblended highland barley liquor and 15,000 tonnes of finished liquor annually," he added, referring to a type of distilled spirit.

The project is also expected to boost local employment. Wang Yongzhang, head of the company's human resources department, said that about 300 jobs will be created for locals, each coming with an approximate average monthly income of 6,000 yuan.

Local resident Gaggya, 24, joined the company in June 2024. He graduated from a college in the eastern Jiangsu province in 2023.

"I wanted to work in my hometown to stay close to my family," Gaggya said. "The company provides professional training and expert guidance, helping us develop new skills."

Xizang has been making efforts to develop industries with local characteristics, including its yak, highland barley and Tibetan medicine industries. The rapid growth of these specialty industries has positioned them among the most dynamic and promising drivers of Xizang's economy.