The central government's use of modern equipment to make poor people richer in eastern China will expand westward, said an official from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

If the results of a programme in Central China's Hubei Province are any indication, western China can expect a lucrative payoff.

Ma Lianfang, an official with the ministry's Rural Technology Development Centre, gave this news to China Daily at a conference on erasing poverty from Central China's Dabie Mountains. The conference took place yesterday in Beijing.

During the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005), the ministry will guide regional agencies to introduce advanced agricultural technology to boost productivity and help farmers get richer, said vice-minister Han Deqian.

Ma said his team for aiding the poor will help set aside funds to reduce poverty in underdeveloped western areas.

In Huanggang, a city in Hubei, steps were taken to popularize farming skills in poor and rural areas, said Han.