Chongqing - After more than a decade of digital transformation and brand development, Chongqing Kekexiang Cereal & Oil Co., Ltd., located in the city's High-tech Industrial Development Zone, now boasts an annual output value exceeding 300 million yuan (USD 41.43 million). 

It has become a dominant player in Chongqing's supermarket rice market, capturing over 80% of the market share.

Production line boasts over 95% intelligence

Founded in 1999, the privately owned company started as a small workshop with just 1.2 million yuan annual earnings. Kekexiang's success can be attributed to its keen understanding of market trends. In 2015, the company registered the "Kekexiang" brand and introduced small-packaged rice to address the inconveniences and spoilage issues associated with traditional large packaging.

The rice at the Chongqing Kekexiang Cereal & Oil Co., Ltd. production workshop is ready to be transported to various parts of Chongqing. (Photo/Zhao Dingyi)

Through its packaging design, the company quickly captured consumer attention and expanded its brand influence by highlighting the rice's origin from high-quality production areas across China. General Manager Xiang Tingbin stated that by optimizing its product lineup with various specifications, including 1kg, 5kg, and 10kg packages, the company met the diverse needs of its consumers.

In recent years, Kekexiang has also invested 35 million yuan to upgrade its production lines with smart technology, establishing four fully automated and one semi-automated processing line. With over 95% automation, the production lines have significantly increased capacity from 200 tons per day to 1,000 tons, reducing human intervention to ensure high product quality.

Real-time production data monitoring via electronic screens enables the company to identify and resolve issues promptly, further enhancing efficiency and food safety. Xiang explained that this smart system also allows remote control, diagnostics, and troubleshooting through a mobile app, maximizing transparency and security in food production.

The automated processing production line of Chongqing Kekexiang Cereal & Oil Co., Ltd. (Photo/Zhao Dingyi)

Plans grain storage base in Heilongjiang 

Xiang revealed that the company plans to build a grain storage base in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province. Leveraging the region's high-quality rice resources will expand production capacity and improve manufacturing standards. This initiative will not only help ensure rice quality from the source but also significantly reduce transportation costs.

Xiang emphasized that Kekexiang has chosen the Chongqing High-tech Zone as its main development region. The company plans to replicate its production lines from Chongqing directly in Jiamusi, further expanding capacity and enhancing manufacturing capabilities through smart upgrades. Leveraging Jiamusi’s fertile black soil and abundant agricultural resources, the company will ensure high-quality rice from the source while reducing transportation distances, minimizing losses, and cutting costs.

In 2024, Kekexiang Grain and Oil Company achieved 600 million yuan in sales and 320 million yuan in output value, marking a 15% and 14% increase compared to 2022. Xiang stated that the company will continue to focus on brand strengthening and intelligent manufacturing breakthroughs, and it is committed to supplying more high-quality rice to the market and driving the expansion of private enterprise brands from Chongqing to nationwide recognition.