THE Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) based in New Delhi, is setting its sights higher. Wanting to increase the country's present share of the global agricultural trade from 0.5 per cent to a more respectable 2 per cent, it has sought the participation of the private sector as its partner.

The director general of ICAR, R S Paroda, said on September 27, that the research establishment was open to private sector participation as " able players in the public or privaw tors will have to be partners in can menting each others' efforts at pro ting market-oriented agriculture. private sectors could link with council in terms of contract contract service, considtancy, and ing among others.

Meanwhile, the council has taken many a new initiative to meet the future challenges including the setting up open agricultural research information System (ARIS), launching of a agricultural technology project, el lishment of national research cem and the DNA finger-printing of the vailing genetic resources. India An has the distinction of being the first country in the world to develop varieties of crops like cotton, castor pearlmillet.