National News

More than 5 Crore Soil Health cards issued in from 2018 to 2021

13 December 2021, New Delhi: The Government is implementing Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme since 2015-16 to ascertain soil health and fertility. Soil Health Card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health that results in increase in production.

The total number of farmers provided with SHCs during last three years, State/ UT-wise is given at Annexure–I. The States have not reported any challenges faced by them while implementing the scheme.

The number of soil testing laboratories set up across the country, State/ UT-wise is at Annexure-II.

Increase in agriculture production depends on a number of factors like use of quality seeds, balanced & integrated use of fertilizers, availability of irrigation, etc.National Production Council in their study ‘Soil Testing Infrastructure for Faster Delivery of Soil Health Card in India’ in 2017 reported an overall increase in the yield of crops to the tune of 5-6% by adopting SHC recommendations.

Steps taken by Government to improve agricultural productivity are given below:

  1. The Government is implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to enhance production and productivity of food crops. The mission aims at increasing foodgrain/food crop production through area expansion in niche regions and productivity improvement. Under NFSM, support is given for promotion of crops viz., rice, wheat, pulses, nutri cereals (jowar, bajra, ragi& small millets), coarse cereals (maize & barley), commercial crops (cotton, jute & sugarcane) and oilseeds and oilpalm.
  2. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) plays a vital role to improve agricultural productivity through various interventions i.e. through introduction of improved varieties, quality seeds and planting materials, protected cultivation, high density plantation, rejuvenation, precision farming and horticultural mechanization.
  3. Government is implementing Sub-Mission on Seeds & Planting Materials (SMSP) to promote production and multiplication of quality seeds of agricultural crops, so that the required quantities of seeds could be made available to farmers in the country.
  4. Under Rashtriya Krishi VikasYojana (RKVY) funds are released to the State Governments on the basis of projects in Agriculture & allied sectors to implement the scheme in the States as per their requirement in areas which requires focused attention for increasing production and productivity in the State.
  5.  “Per drop more crop” initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water, reducing cost of inputs and increasing productivity.       

 Annexure-I

State-wise number of farmers provided with Soil Health Cards during last three years.

Sl. No.States/UTs2018-192019-202020-21
1Andaman & Nicobar389410073000
2Andhra Pradesh34626292264870
3Arunachal Pradesh10266543253
4Assam1157702674930
5Bihar4151316123866305223
6Chhattisgarh281106665341387
7D&N Haveli283800
8Goa606692816556
9Gujarat4372845635910
10Haryana24971853026118972
11Himachal Pradesh56433196135168
12J & K54693056357159890
13Jharkhand320914145720
14Karnataka385387322140104
15Kerala773204171207118022
16Ladakh1650021030
17Madhya Pradesh5388000127000133000
18Maharashtra27920422018370
19Manipur103571035710010
20Meghalaya139741452868531
21Mizoram1198621190
22Nagaland12000273040
23Odisha92563543141852056
24Puducherry533264
25Punjab58000058056819196
26Rajasthan736602310433347
27Sikkim330029360
28Tamil Nadu353397110114432750
29Telangana472987110664165527
30Tripura18034156146467
31Uttar Pradesh1747200025551720000
32Uttarakhand445556136456700
33West Bengal61250045200
Total527201482882897

Note: – During 2020-21, soil testing was done by states under state programme (except Uttar Pradesh).

                                                                                    Annexure-II

State-wise number of Soil Testing Labs

Number of Soil Testing labs

S. No.Name of State/ UTStaticMobileMini LabVillage levelTotal
1A&N Islands10001
2Andhra Pradesh4713132851393
3Arunachal Pradesh53008
4Assam1002160226
5Bihar38912371
6Chhattisgarh3301115149
7D&N Haveli00000
8Goa20002
9Gujarat81023030341
10Haryana35003469
11Himachal Pradesh11969089
12J&K20120032
13Jharkhand470316403211
14Karnataka9616281384
15Kerala22120034
16Ladakh20002
17Madhya Pradesh7875031589
18Maharashtra20926480283
19Manipur1016219
20Meghalaya338014
21Mizoram50005
22Nagaland1100011
23Odisha30303140374
24Puducherry20002
25Punjab6940073
26Rajasthan1011200113
27Sikkim3001417
28Tamil Nadu36160052
29Telangana224205002076
30Tripura221000104
31Uttar Pradesh254006260
32Uttarakhand1300114
33West Bengal2680034
 Total1315171816440210052

This information was given by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.