Xizang Keyan
In the Himalayas, highland barley has been cultivated for more than a thousand years. As the staple crop of the Tibetan people, it thrives in frost, drought, and poor soils at altitudes above 4,000 meters. For centuries, however, its processing never advanced beyond traditional products including Tibetan tsampa porridge or barley spirits. Today, the partnership between Xizang Keyan Agricultural Technology and Bühler is unlocking the full potential of this super grain.
Cecilia Lian, Lei Lei, November 2025
Highland barley, known scientifically as Hordeum vulgare var. nudum, is often called the plateau warrior among cereals. The Gangba variety, rich in dietary fibers known as beta-glucans, is prized as China’s super grain. Yet for all its resilience and nutrition, major challenges stood in the way of its wider use. Traditional stone milling yielded less than 65 percent flour, and the product was often dark and coarse, making it unsuitable for modern baking and food industries. And with virtually no gluten, highland barley performed poorly in fermentation, keeping it locked out of premium markets.
“As a company dedicated to the entire barley value chain, we want to expand the industry and develop more diversified barley foods and beverages,” says Guo Wenhong, Chairman of Xizang Keyan Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. “Partnering with Bühler allows us to focus on refined, deep processing to enhance the value of barley products.”
In August 2024, that vision took shape when a new Bühler-designed processing line went into operation at Keyan’s plant. It is the first modern, large-scale production line customized specifically for highland barley, covering every step from raw material intake to final packaging.
Bühler’s engineering team designed the system to overcome the grain’s unique challenges while enabling efficient, stable production at industrial scale. One of the biggest breakthroughs came in baking. Without gluten, highland barley was once considered off limits for breads and cakes. Working together, Bühler’s R&D specialists and Keyan’s technologists pioneered a modification process: Ultra-fine grinding combined with enzymatic treatment reconstructs the molecular network of the flour, lifting fermentation performance by 50 percent. Thanks to this innovation, highland barley premixes, breads, and cakes have moved from the lab to the market – delivering what the company calls “highland flour with undiminished flavor.”
“As the health and wellness sector expands and demand for functional foods grows, Bühler is bringing fresh momentum to highland barley processing,” explains Jacky Zhang, Vice President of Grains Business, Bühler Greater China. “With our global experience and advanced technology, we are supporting the industry’s continuous progress and sustainable development.”
The results are already impressive. The new line has an annual capacity of 13,000 tonnes of refined barley flour and 26,000 tonnes of premix, generating an expected output value of more than RMB 300 million (around CHF 33 million). The portfolio spans over 40 product categories across bakery, beverages, and snacks. Keyan’s highland barley bread has already won gold at an international baking competition, while its barley beer has become the golden invitation from the hometown of highland barley to the world. “This is currently Bühler’s highest-altitude project in the region,” explains Tan Zhigang, Director of Special Grains & Pulses, Bühler Greater China. “Our team accounted for the unique conditions of Tibet’s high elevation and delivered world-leading flour technology and complete equipment. With Swiss precision and craftsmanship, we have turned this project into a milestone for the industry.”
For Guo Wenhong, the achievement for his company goes beyond production volumes: “Through close cooperation with Bühler, we have ensured stable product quality and improved flour yields. The entire project has reached an internationally leading level, becoming a benchmark for the industry.”
From the fields of Tibet to supermarket shelves worldwide, highland barley is enjoying a new lease of life. What was once a subsistence crop confined to the plateau is now a branded product, a signature of Tibetan agriculture. For both Xizang Keyan and Bühler, the collaboration is not only a technological upgrade but also a joint step in the ecological and economic evolution of the highland barley industry.
Who: Xizang Keyan Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.
Where: Tibet
When: Founded in 2024.
What: Xizang Keyan Agricultural Technology produces up to 13,000 tonnes of refined barley flour and 26,000 tonnes of premix annually.
Customers: The company supplies the growing Chinese functional food market, with products including barley bread, cakes, premixes, and beverages.
Bühler: Xizang Keyan Agricultural Technology operates a large-scale Bühler production line dedicated to highland barley, covering intake to packaging. Technology innovations include ultra-fine grinding and enzymatic modification to boost fermentation performance by 50 percent, enabling highland barley breads, cakes, and premixes to enter the market.
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