The sowing operations were delayed mainly due to late arrival of monsoon this year. The monsoon started about a week late than normal. The first spell was good throughout the state.There was a lull for three to four weeks in certain parts but it again resumed in the last week of June and raining fairly well.

In east Vidarbha, paddy showing was held up due to inadequate rains. The rainfall was normal except Kolhapur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli districts where the sowing has been affected. Maximum rainfall of 968.8 mm was recorded in Ratnagiri district followed by 883.6 mm in Sindhudurg district. The minimum rainfall of 54.5 mm was recorded in Bhandara and 80.7 mm in Sangli.

State government sources said that 89.57 lakh hectares for all cereals will be covered during the kharifseason of 1998-99 while there will be a production target of 113.26 lakh tonnes for all cereals and productivity target of 1,265 kg per hectare.

For oil seeds it will be 17.34 lakh hectare, 18.23 lakh tonnes, 1,050 kg per hectare, cotton it will be 30.25 lakh hectare, 32.92 lakh tonnes and 185 kg pere hectare and for sugarcane it will be 5.65 lakh hectares, 508.50 lakh tonnes and 90 kg per hectares.

For the successful kharif season operations a control room has been set up at the office of commissioner for agriculture in Pune. The control room will take care of adequate and timely supply of seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and irrigation management. The state agriculture department has also introduced a single window scheme from July 1 for the benefit of tillers.

For this season, 6.30 lakh quintal seeds for food grains, oilseeds and cotton will be required.

However, in all 7.46 lakh quintal seeds comprising 3.99 lakh quintal from Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation, National Seeds Authority andMahafed and balance 3.47 lakh quintal from private sector will be made available to the farmers.

The availability of seeds for the current season will be almost 18 per cent more than the actual requirement.

During 1997 season, in all 5.40 lakh quintal seeds sourced from public and private players were distributed. In case of cereals (jowar, bajra, paddy, maize) the seed placement of 1,18,317 quintals have been made by Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation though the allotment would be of 1,55,450 quintal and demand will be 1,39,913 quintals.

For pulses (tur, mung, udid) MSSC has made placement of 54,567 quintal while the allotment of 63,795 quintal as against the demand of 52,467 quintal has been made.

MSSC has made placement of 1,10,133 quintal for oilseeds (groundnut, sunflower, seasum, soyabean) while the allotment of 1,16,357 quintal as against the demand of 1,22,452 quintal has been made.

For cotton, the placement of 22,167 quintal has been made though the demand will be 30,144 quintal.

Theagriculture department has already made an exhaustive planning for the chemical fertilisers requirement of 24.75 lakh tonnes comprising Urea, DAP, MOP and SSP. As on June 15, 9.20 lakh tonnes chemical fertilisers have already been procured. The centre has also supplied 5 lakh tonnes Urea so far.The availability of MOP is less as majority suppliers have not imported MOP.

Similarly, the supply of 20:20:0 and 19:19:19 fertilisers will also be inadequate and thus the government has already appealed to the producers of 17:17:17 and 23:23:0 fertilisers to increase the supply.