KUALA LUMPUR, The government promotes and widely disseminates information about schemes and assistance provided under the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities, especially in the rural and interior areas of Sarawak, through the relevant agencies, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, said the ministry also made announcements about schemes and assistance at programmes or activities, such as exhibitions and lectures, organised by other departments or agencies.

He said they included the Agriculture Outreach Programme (AgriCorp) organised by the Sarawak Department of Agriculture (JPS).

"JPS also organises development activities involving courses, training, workshops and study tours with smallholders in Sarawak," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Roy Angau Gingkoi (GPS-Lubok Antu) regarding efforts by the government to widely spread information about schemes and assistance provided under the ministry in the rural and interior areas of Sarawak.

For the oil palm sector, he said, information about the scheme and the assistance provided under the ministry is disseminated through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), while for the pepper sector, it is by the Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB).

In another development, he said, the government has allocated RM10 million to implement a pilot project on the use of stimulant gas which is capable of increasing rubber production up to threefold.

This initiative is expected to further increase the income of rubber smallholders and the country's rubber production, he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency