Rainfall, however, occurred at most places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar plains, Rayalseema, coastal Karnataka and Lakshadweep. It also occurred in many places in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Konkan and Goa, south interior Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Apart from this, at few places in the rest of the country with the exception of westRajasthan and Saurashtra and Kutch, isolated rainfall occurred.

RAINFALL FORECAST: Rainfall activity is likely to increase in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, east UP, west coast and central parts of the country. Normal rainfall activity is likely over Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim and northeastern states.

Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in south Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is also expected in many places in north Konkan, south central Maharashtra, interior Karnataka, Orissa, Vidharbha, West Bengal and Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Rainfall is expected at a few or isolated places in rest regions of the country with the exception of the plains of northeastern India where mainly dry weather will prevail.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya,Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

CROP SITUATION: According to the recent reports available with the crop weather watch group of the union agriculture ministry, transplanting of the major kharif crop, rice, is almost complete in Punjab while the transplanting and sowing is in full swing in Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, UP and Tamil Nadu. However, the transplanting and sowing of rice has started in Bihar.

The area covered under rice cultivation in Haryana is approaching the level of normal coverage whereas in Madhya Pradesh, UP and Nagaland about 50 per cent of the normal area has been covered. The overall area coverage under rice in the country is reported to be about 10 lakh hectre more than area coverage in the corresponding period in the previous year.

COARSE CEREALS: With the onset of monsoon, the sowing of jowar, bajra, maize and ragi is in progress in all theimportant growing states. The progress of area covered under jowar, bajra and maize is reported to be satisfactory as compared to the area covered during the corresponding period in the previous year except for jowar in Madhya Pradesh, bajra in Gujarat and maize in Bihar. The lower coverage in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar is due to delayed onset of monsoon in these states while in Gujarat, the delay is on account of the last cyclone. The overall area coverage for jowar and bajra is reported to be more than the area coverage in the corresponding period in the previous year.

PULSES: With the onset of monsoon, the sowing of kharif pulses has commenced in different parts of the country. The coverage under kharif pulses during 1998-99 so far is reported to be higher at about 51.84 lakh hectare as against 48.79 lakh hectare during the corresponding period in 1997-98 and is about 50 per cent of the normal area under pulses.

OILSEEDS: Sowing of kharif oilseed crops has commenced with the onset ofmonsoon and area coverage so far is satisfactory. Area coverage under groundnut during 1998-99 so far, is reported to be 30.9 lakh hectare as compared to 31.2 lakh hectare during the corresponding period last year. The area coverage under soyabean is, however, reported to be 46.6 lakh hectare which is relatively higher than the corresponding coverage of 36.4 lakh hectare in the previous year. The area coverage under all kharif oilseed crops during 1998-99 so far, is reported to be 89.9 lakh hectare as compared to 77.4 lakh hectare during the corresponding period in the previous year.

COTTON: Sowing of cotton is almost complete in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and is reported to be in full swing in Gujarat. The other states have also indicated satisfactory progress in area coverage. It is reported that about an area of 59.14 lakh hectare has been covered under cotton in the country as against 48.76 lkah hectare covered during the corresponding period in the previous year. However, in case of MadhyaPradesh, the cotton area coverage is reported to be less as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Cotton crop is in vegetative to boll formation in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka. Whitefly mediated leaf curl virus has been detected in few villages of Sriganganagar district in Rajasthan, Muktesar and Faridkot districts in Punjab and Sirsa district in Haryana. Close monitoring is being done by the Union agriculture ministry besides organising spot application of chemical control to prevent spread of disease.

JUTE & MESTA: The sowing of jute and mesta has been completed and conditions of the standing crops are reported to be satisfactory. As per reports received by the agriculture ministry, the area coverage under jute and mesta is 9.64 million hectare which is nearly one lakh hectare less than the previous year.