Lok Sabha Question No. 2030 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: Soil Health Mission
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER, SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2030

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  14 TH  MARCH, 2017

## SOIL HEALTH MISSION

2030.  SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER: SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY: SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  made  several  arrangements  to  facilitate  and provide Soil Health Card to the farmers  promptly in the country  and if so, the  details thereof along with the benefits accrued to the farmers therefrom;
- (b) the number of beneficiaries thereunder in the country including Maharashtra, so far, State-wise;
- (c) the status of State share in the implementation of Soil Health Card in the country; and
- (d) whether the desired objectives of the implementation of Soil Health Mission have satisfactorily been achieved in the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam.  The Government has introduced Soil Health Card Scheme in  all    States/UTs  including  Maharashtra  with  an  aim  to  assist  State  Governments  to evaluate fertility in all farm holding and issue soil health cards to farmers regularly in a cycle of 2 years.  Soil health cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.  Against the target of 2.53 crore soil samples, the  States  have  collected  2.69  Crore  samples  and  tested  2.01  crore  samples.    And against target of 14 Crore soil health Cards 5.53 Crore cards have been distributed to farmers.      State-wise  soil  samples  collected,  tested  and  soil  health  cards  issued  to farmers are given at Annexure.

(c): Under  the  Soil  Health  Card  Scheme,  State  share  for  North  Eastern  and Himalayan  States  are  90:10  and  for  other  States  60:40  (Govt  of  India  :  State Governments).

(d): Against  the  target  of  2.53  crore  soil  samples,  the  States  have  collected  2.69 Crore  samples  and  tested  2.01  crore  samples.    And  against  target  of  14  Crore  soil health  Cards,  5.53  Crore  cards  have  been distributed to  farmers. State  Governments have  shared  the  case-studies  of  farmers  who  have  benefitted  from  the  use  of information  in  soil  health  card  and  have  increased  the  productivity  in  cultivation  of cereals, pulses, horticulture & oilseeds crops. A study conducted by National Productivity Council (NPC) in 2016 has shown that 84% of farmers have expressed that the information on soil status & nutrients recommendations have proven to be beneficial to them in reducing the cost of cultivation and improving productivity of crops.

## Annexure

## State-wise Number of Soil samples collected, tested and Soil Health Cards issued to farmers.

|        |                      | Total target        | Soil samples   | Soil samples   |                          |
|--------|----------------------|---------------------|----------------|----------------|--------------------------|
| Sl. No | States               | for 2015-16 & 16-17 | Collected      | Tested         | Soil Health Cards Issued |
| I.     | SOUTH ZONE           |                     |                |                |                          |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh       | 1348382             | 1468950        | 1337552        | 4355143                  |
| 2      | Karnataka            | 1665765             | 1675090        | 1445435        | 3366542                  |
| 3      | Kerala               | 127585              | 213909         | 150690         | 171313                   |
| 4      | Tamil Nadu           | 1274536             | 1267882        | 1252723        | 5517514                  |
| 5      | Telangana            | 1034678             | 1006496        | 955664         | 2750759                  |
| II.    | WEST ZONE            |                     |                |                |                          |
| 6      | Gujarat              | 1589236             | 3334235        | 3013792        | 2414631                  |
| 7      | Madhya Pradesh       | 2313977             | 2315843        | 1825478        | 4387336                  |
| 8      | Maharashtra          | 2347121             | 2591912        | 2349000        | 9690000                  |
| 9      | Rajasthan            | 2308013             | 2320000        | 1173000        | 3140000                  |
| 10     | Chhattisgarh         | 703691              | 762304         | 718052         | 3319147                  |
| 11     | Goa                  | 25000               | 25000          | 25000          | 20372                    |
| III.   | NORTH ZONE           |                     |                |                |                          |
| 12     | Haryana              | 788670              | 788670         | 788670         | 440560                   |
| 13     | Punjab               | 835526              | 534820         | 289608         | 608744                   |
| 14     | Uttarakhand          | 135738              | 128046         | 117675         | 562092                   |
| 15     | Uttar Pradesh        | 4770399             | 4834726        | 2290995        | 7164228                  |
| 16     | Himachal Pradesh     | 69635               | 90595          | 88398          | 435438                   |
| 17     | J & K                | 165318              | 100142         | 65160          | 127633                   |
| IV.    | EAST ZONE            |                     |                |                |                          |
| 18     | Bihar                | 1308778             | 1388123        | 813570         | 2837195                  |
| 19     | Jharkhand            | 115302              | 115302         | 90300          | 180095                   |
| 20     | Odisha               | 668635              | 637273         | 528761         | 1572828                  |
| 21     | West Bengal          | 1300349             | 1020000        | 640000         | 1953000                  |
| V.     | NE ZONE              |                     |                |                |                          |
| 22     | Arunachal Pradesh    | 20532               | 20262          | 19001          | 9670                     |
| 23     | Assam                | 278707              | 164104         | 49635          | 138174                   |
| 24     | Manipur              | 20713               | 9719           | 6380           | 5351                     |
| 25     | Meghalaya            | 39372               | 37676          | 34108          | 45587                    |
| 26     | Mizoram              | 11986               | 11370          | 8816           | 8216                     |
| 27     | Nagaland             | 33423               | 24995          | 20675          | 17700                    |
| 28     | Sikkim               | 13217               | 13217          | 13217          | 27000                    |
| 29     | Tripura              | 32736               | 33000          | 33000          | 66213                    |
| VI.    | Union Territories    |                     |                |                |                          |
| 30     | Andaman & Nicobar    | 1405                | 1870           | 1870           | 0                        |
| 31     | Dadar & Nagar Haveli | 2162                | 0              | 0              | 0                        |
| 32     | Puducherry           | 3530                | 4736           | 4534           | 595                      |
| 33     | Chandigarh           | 277                 | 544            | 0              | 0                        |
| Total  |                      | 25354394            | 26940811       | 20150759       | 55333076                 |

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