The hybrid rice technology programme, which was allotted 2.55 million dollars, would be undertaken with technical assistance from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), a report on UNDP's India activities said.

``The programme would build upon a successful earlier phase supported by UNDP since 1991, which had undertaken the development of seven public hybrids suitable for irrigated areas,'' it said.

``To ensure food security in the country about 25 per cent more rice needs to be added to the national food basket,'' it said, adding the new programme would work to achieve a research base on systematic seed production and transfer of technology in this sector.

In the spices sector, UNDP was providing a grant of 1.12 million dollars for a three- year programme which targeted,among others, development of organic spices and direct export by small- scale industry sector in the country, it said.

The spices development programme would take up projects in north-east states, Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Nilgiri hills region, focussing on the development and growth of climate-specific spices in various regions.

The initiative which would also focus on generation of rural employment, particularly of the women labourers, follows an earlier UNDP-assisted intervention through the Spices Board, Cochin, which facilitated technological upgradation, establishment of state-of-the-art laboratory and testing facilities, the report said.

The organisation had earlier worked with non-government organisations in four states on post-harvest management and processing of selected spices.

The new programme would also address the issues of chemical and pesticide usage in the spices production in the country, it said.