NEW DELHI. Mar 2: India la Koised to export more than ve million tonnes of rice and wheat for the flrat time since Independence, the Union Agriculture Minister. Dr Jagannath Mishra, has said, reports PT1.

The minister told the Joint meeting of the dtrectors of 89 ICAR institutes and Vice Chancellors of 28 state agricultural universities yesterday that the ICAR should initiate special network programmes for coastal agriculture, hill agriculture, post-harvest technology and prototype development, an officials release said here yesterday.

Similarly, demonstration programmes are needed on recharging of underground water in Haryana. Punjab. Rajasthan and Gujarat and on water use efficiency at farm level, he added.

Our research system should become more Responsive to existing and emerging needs, both In the context of national and global scenario he said adding each institution under the ICAR umbrella and the state agriculture universities should attain the required excellence in its chosen field of activity, particularly, tn the frontier agricultural technologies.