Camel milk a business tonic for Xinjiang firm

Camels may be known for their foul breath and bad humor, but a company in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is finding them attractive as a business opportunity.

Xinjiang Wangyuan Camel Milk Co Ltd, the first of its kind in the nation, recently launched a range of dairy products from the dromedary.

The company has a 66,700 square meter processing center for milk from the more than 70,000 camels living on the Altay prairie, about half of the autonomous region's total.

Converts to camel milk say it is more healthy and has a composition much like human milk.

It contains less fat, less lactose, more insulin and vitamin C, making it a better option for diabetics, babies and the aged.

People with lactose intolerance can also drink it.

For thousands of years, cultures in northern China have consumed camel milk and also used it to treat tuberculosis, diarrhea and other illnesses.

As well, it is valued as a beauty regimen to keep skin soft.

But even though Xinjiang Wangyuan has access to tens thousands of camels, "it is still not enough because camels give very little milk", said Chen Gangliang, manager of the company.

The company now plans to invest 20 million yuan ($3 million) to keep more camels and increase its output.

It is also encouraging local herdsmen to plant grass and raise camels by paying them top prices.

Chen said about 1,000 households will be able to increase their annual income by at least 10,000 yuan when the company reaches its production target of 3,000 tons a year.

"Altay has abundant natural resources with 20,000 hectares of cultivated land to be tapped," said Zhang Zheng, deputy Party chief of the city committee.

"Its development has lagged behind the rest of the country with per capita income lower than the average of the nation," Zhang said. "We started the company hoping to spur the livestock industry and increase the income of locals."

He also noted local authorities have offered preferential policies to support the company's development and research.

Xinjiang Wangyuan has invented new production procedures and now has three patents for its yogurt and cheese made of camel's milk.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/03/2010 page17)