Earlier, the Planning Commission under the then deputy chairmanship of Madhu Dandavate had fixed the 1998 kharif production target at 210 million tonne. The present union agriculture ministry, Som Pal has rejected the target as unrealistic and unpragmatic. He stated that the Plan panel has not done enough homework like considering ground level realities while fixing the target for the season in the current year.

The agriculture ministry has roughly estimated that the target for season can be fixed at 203 million tonne in lieu of 210 million tonne. However, the annual growth rate in agricultural production for the whole of 1998-99 is expected to be at 3 per cent.

In a recent meeting ofstate agriculture department on agricultural census and statistic convened in Delhi, the centre has rejected the targets set by respective states outright on the basis of overall target fixed by the Planning Commission at 210 million tonne.

Meanwhile, the union agriculture ministry has intimated to the states that the National Pulses Development Programme (NPDP) will be implemented in the current year with an total outlay of Rs 46.80 crore out of which Rs 36 crore will be borne by the centre. The pattern of assistance for the components under the programme will be 75:25 basis to be shared between centre and respective states. This will, however, not apply for seed minikits and pharomone traps.

The state-wise allocations have been arrived at on basis of area, production and contribution of individual states to the total production and past performance of states. The states has been advised that at least 16.5 per cent of total farm level assistance should to SC farmer and at least 8.5 per cent of totalassistance should flow to ST farmers. This amount is to be spent for the approved components other than staff and contingencies. States are, however, free to adjust this percentage depending upon the population percentage of SC/ST communities in the state but it should not be less than the percentage of population of these communities.

The centre has also allowed the states to utilise the unspent balance under NPDP as on April 1, 1998 out of the releases made in 1997-98 only by informing the centre about its details.

The centre has also approved the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme, `Sustainable Development of Sugarcane Based Cropping System' in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, UP, West Bengal and Pondicherry. The pattern of assistance for components under this scheme will, however, remain same as that in the previous year and the states are permitted toutilise the unspent balance as on April 1, 1998.

Implementation of another centrally sponsored scheme, `Integrated Cereals Development Programme in Rice Based Cropping Systems for Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Kerala, MP, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, UP, West Bengal and Pondicherry. Though the pattern of assistance under the scheme will remain same as that in the previous year, certain modifications has been made in the components for implementation. There will be no incentives for production of green manure seeds and use of soil ameliorants, no awards to panchayats for maximising production and no assistance to state agriculture universities for contractual research on local problems.

Further, the centrally sponsored scheme, Special Jute Development Programme (SJDP) has been approved for Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa, Tripura, West Bengal and UP with the components and funding pattern remaining the same as that in the previous year and statesbeing allowed to spend the balance as on April 1, 1998 as per stipulated conditions.