Pune:
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Providing an update on the monsoon, Bharne said that Maharashtra has received 94% of its average seasonal rainfall so far. While rainfall has been satisfactory in most regions, Marathwada continues to face a deficit, having received only 77% of its normal rainfall. Region-wise, Konkan has received 111% rainfall, Nashik 83%, Pune 87%, Marathwada 77%, and Vidarbha 73%.
Bharne said sowing has been completed on about 84% of the state’s cultivable area with Amravati recording the highest progress at 92%. Maize and sunflower cultivation has increased this season, and fertiliser stocks remain adequate across Maharashtra. “The government is closely monitoring rainfall, crop conditions, fertiliser supply and seed quality. Farmers need not panic as necessary action is being taken on all fronts,” Bharne said.
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The Maharashtra government will continue with the existing crop insurance scheme for the 2026 Kharif season without any changes, agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne announced on Wednesday while stating that action has been initiated against seed companies following thousands of complaints of poor soybean seed germination across the state. Addressing reporters in Pune, Bharne said that the decision to retain the existing crop insurance policy has been taken to ensure that farmers do not face any disruption during the ongoing cultivation season. “The crop insurance policy will remain unchanged this year. We have ensured that farmers do not face any difficulties, and no changes have been made to the existing framework. The decision has been taken keeping farmers’ interests in mind,” he said.
A major focus of the briefing was the large number of complaints regarding poor soybean seed germination during the ongoing Kharif season. Soybean is cultivated on an average area of 47.32 lakh hectares in Maharashtra. As of July 26, sowing had been completed on 45.10 lakh hectares. The state required 13.13 lakh quintals of soybean seed this season while availability stood at 18.57 lakh quintals, indicating that there was no shortage of seed supply, Bharne said. Despite adequate availability, the agriculture department received 73,337 complaints of poor soybean seed germination with the highest number reported from Akola, Amravati, Buldhana and Yavatmal districts. Taluka-level grievance redressal committees have inspected 20,913 cases; while 7,811 seed samples have been collected for laboratory testing. So far, 2,082 samples have been found to be substandard leading to the registration of 85 FIRs against seed companies allegedly responsible for supplying poor-quality seeds. The companies facing action include Brewster Plant Genetics Pvt Ltd, Ravi Hybrid Seeds & Research, Shri Oswal Seeds, Yashoda Seeds and Pioneer Genetics LLP, among others. The agriculture department said that further legal action will depend on laboratory findings and field inspections. According to official estimates, poor germination has affected nearly 2.47 lakh hectares of soybean cultivation across Maharashtra making it one of the state’s biggest seed quality crises in recent years.
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Bharne also reviewed implementation of the farm loan waiver and incentive subsidy schemes. He said that around 31 lakh farmers are eligible for incentive benefits, nearly 17 lakh of whom are already receiving loan waiver benefits. The remaining beneficiaries will be covered in the third and fourth lists. According to Bharane, nearly 5 lakh farmers have completed the mandatory know your customer (KYC) verification, while about 23 lakh farmers have been identified under the incentive subsidy scheme. He urged beneficiaries not to worry if they receive only a partial amount initially, assuring them that the balance will be credited through nationalised banks. He also said that farmers left out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana will receive the benefits due to them.
