Yak butter is a vital necessity for farmers and herders living on plateaus. However, curds, the by-product, are often underutilized.

"In the past, herders would only consume a small portion of the curds left after extracting butter from yak milk, with the majority being discarded as waste," explained Zheng Liang, head of Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. in Luhuo county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Zheng said that nowadays, curds are being repurposed into valuable products, making their way back to the dining tables.

Photo shows a milk curd production line of Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. under construction in Luhuo county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Hong)

After being processed and refined, milk curds can be turned into high-value casein that has a wide range of applications in industries such as food and beverage, biopharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals, showing promising market potential.

"Casein is a key ingredient in milk tea and coffee, as well as instant food such as cereal. It also plays a vital role in industries like leather and latex," explained Zheng.

Currently, Zheng's company operates a production line capable of producing 800 tonnes of casein annually, along with a dairy product testing lab, a wastewater treatment facility, and a boiler for heat supply.

Workers work at the factory of Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. in Luhuo county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Hong)

China once faced a technical hurdle in casein production, relying on imports for 90 percent of its supply. In 2011, Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. was established in Luhuo county, known for its abundant casein resources.

As the only casein processing factory in Sichuan, Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. has been expanding its casein production scale.

In 2023, the company secured a 2 million yuan (about $279,224) investment from an assistance team in Jinjiang district of Chengdu, the provincial capital. This funding was used to set up a casein production line with an annual capacity of 3,000 tonnes. Additionally, a technology company was invited to develop a casein deep processing park and agricultural product trading center.

This year, an additional 4 million yuan will be invested in customizing equipment for the new casein production line and constructing a digital information system.

Through the digital information system, the trading center is expected to collect milk curds from eight counties in the prefecture. After it is completed, the center's milk curd procurement volume is estimated to exceed 2,500 tonnes within three years, with transactions exceeding 100 million yuan.

Photo shows an exhibition area of Luhuo Kangba Shengde Yak Industry Co., Ltd. in Luhuo county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Hong)

"In 2023, the company generated an output value of 30.13 million yuan, and invested over 25 million yuan in milk curd procurement funds. The company is able to bring benefits to over 5,000 households in Luhuo and its surrounding areas," Zheng said.