KUCHING, The Betong Division Development Agency (BDDA) wants to learn from Thailand's advanced agricultural development and experts. Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is BDDA chairman, said for this reason he is leading a team to visit Ratchaburi Province in Thailand famed for its tropical fruits such as coconut, mango, guava and pineapple. The team visited the Thai Coconut Public Company today, which manufactures coconut-based products like coconut milk and coconut water. 'Thailand has been well-known for its highly developed food industry, beginning from planting and goes on to production, processing and marketing network. We have noticed that Thailand obviously has a very sophisticated overall supply chain. 'It is incredibly well organised, and this is something we want to emulate. Another plus point is Thailand enjoys a global market network which assists their farmers in selling their products," he said in a statement here today. Meanwhile, Uggah said marketing is a crucial matter for BDDA. 'Our biggest issue is whether all that we produce be it vegetables, fruits, food or livestock products can find their way to markets for farmers to increase their income,' he said. Uggah reiterated it is BDDA foremost aim to come up with ways and means to improve the livelihood of the people to increase their income. 'But we need to have proper planning, guidance, and management of the whole supply chain so that they can come up not only with quantity but quality as well. We also have the land and the people who are not strangers to hard work,' he added. Source: BERNAMA News Agency