Lok Sabha Question No. 3857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-17
Subject: Soil Health Card Day and International Year of Soils
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Sudheer Gupta, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Shrirang Appa Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3857

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2020

## SOIL HEALTH CARD DAY AND INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOILS

3857.  SHRI  SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK: SHRI  SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI  GAJANAN KIRTIKAR: SHRI  BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI  SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government observed Soil Health Card Day and International year of Soils recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the aims and objectives thereof;
- (c) the details of the programmes and events organized along with the initiatives taken by the Government to make the events successful;
- (d) the  details  of  the  scheme  introduced  to  assist  State  Government  to  issue  Soil  Health Cards to all farmers in the country;
- (e) the details of the expenditure involved in the Soil Health Card Scheme since its launch so far, State/ UT-wise; and
- (f) the number of farmers benefited/distributed Soil Health Cards during the second cycle, 2017-19?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): Yes.    Every  year  December  5th  is  celebrated  as  World  Soil  Day  (as  per  UN directives)  and  Soil  health  Card  day  on  19th  February  (launch  date  of  Soil  Health  Card Programme)  by  Department  of  Agriculture,  cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DAC&FW)  and Indian  Council  of  Agriculture  Research  (ICAR).  The  major  objective  of  World  Soil  Day  is  to promote awareness  about  crucial role of soil  in food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation,  poverty  alleviation,  sustainable  development.  Soil  Health  Card  day  is  intended  to promote  awareness  among  farmers  about  need  for  adoption  of  soil  test  based  integrated nutrient management; to create awareness among public about the policy directives initiated for maintaining the soil health.

On 19th February 2020, Soil Health Card Day was organized at   NASC, Pusa, New Delhi;  Hissar  Agriculture  University,  Haryana  and  at  ICAR  -  Regional  Center  for  North  East States,  Barapani,  Meghalaya  on  the  occasion  of  successful  completion  of  five  years  of  Soil Health  Card  Scheme.  Kisan  Goshtis  were  organized  at  each  of  the  above  under  the chairmanship of Hon'ble  Agriculture Minister and Ministers of State respectively. Farmers, State Governments, Fertiliser Companies, Scientists etc.  attended these Ghosties.

(d): Soil Health Card Scheme was launched since 2014-15 for assisting State Governments to test farm soils and issue soil  health cards to all farmers in the country. Soil health  card  provides  information  to  farmers on  nutrient status of their soil  along  with recommendations on crop specific appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and fertility. Soil status is assessed for 12 parameters regularly every 2 years so that nutrient deficiencies are identified and corrective steps taken.

During  the  current  financial  year  (2019-20)    a  pilot  project  'Development  of  Model Villages' has been taken up where soil samples collection has been taken up at individual farm holding  with  farmers  participation  instead  of  sample  collection  in  grids.    One  village  in  each block has been selected by the States for implementation of the pilot project.

(e): The  details  of  the  expenditure  under  the  Soil  Health  Card  Scheme,  State/UT-wise  is given at Annexure.

(f): During the second cycle-II (2017-19), 11.75 crore farmers were benefited/distributed soil health cards.

Annexure

## State-wise /UT wise Expenditure  under Soil Health Card Scheme

As on

11.03.2020

Rs.in lakh

| Sl. No         | State 2014-15   | 2015-16        |   2016-17 |   2017-18 | 2018-19   |   2019-20 |
|----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1 Andhra       | Pra. 124.08     | 457.75 1394.47 |   1225.67 |   1345.97 |           |    898.05 |
| 2 Arunachal    | Pr. 12.23       | 21.08          |     37.37 |     65.86 | 49.40     |      0    |
| 3 Assam        | 50.85           | 142.07         |    365.03 |    748.94 | 561.70    |    187.24 |
| 4 Bihar        | 253.39          | 488.17         |      0    |   1290.39 | 515.23    |      0    |
| 5 Chhattisgarh | 66.04           | 281.03         |    342.72 |    700.1  | 350.05    |      0    |
| 6 Goa          | 0.00            | 0.00           |      0    |     25.64 | 0.00      |      0    |
| 7 Gujarat      | 80.76           | 603.46         |    528.69 |   1832.61 | 1017.12   |      0    |
| 8 Haryana      | 34.13           | 288.22         |      0    |   1600.46 | 959.50    |      0    |
| 9 Himachal Pr. | 24.08           | 47.34          |     29.42 |    150.77 | 105.83    |      0    |
| 10 J & K       | 31.79           | 77.16          |      0    |    246.54 | 200.23    |      0    |
| 11 Jharkhand   | 50.69           | 53.97          |     64.18 |    148.69 | 0.00      |      0    |
| 12 Karnataka   | 127.02          | 650.25         |   1029.8  |   1670.66 | 1625.44   |      0    |
| 13 Kerala      | 112.62          | 60.93          |      0    |    206.03 | 130.97    |      0    |
| 14 Madhya Pr.  | 142.86          | 888.05         |   1373.54 |   2371.91 | 1935.13   |      0    |
| 15 Maharashtra | 215.96          | 932.30         |   1910.73 |   3120.42 | 3560.21   |      0    |
| 16 Manipur     | 12.80           | 17.58          |      0    |     34.05 | 0.00      |      0    |
| 17 Meghalaya   | 13.62           | 20.60          |      0    |     60.96 | 60.96     |      0    |
| 18 Mizoram     | 11.98           | 13.79          |      6.15 |     23.3  | 27.35     |     29.39 |
| 19 Nagaland    | 13.18           | 22.46          |     17.55 |     53.37 | 40.03     |      0    |
| 20 Odisha      | 80.23           | 269.89         |    304.48 |    683.92 | 341.96    |      0    |
| 21 Punjab      | 25.81           | 304.98         |      0    |    811.57 | 405.79    |      0    |
| 22 Rajasthan   | 143.42          | 875.79         |   1108.29 |   4219.34 | 1796.15   |      0    |
| 23 Sikkim      | 11.75           | 11.81          |      0    |     88.46 | 92.09     |      0    |
| 24 Tamil Nadu  | 131.91          | 469.51         |    644.92 |   1286.18 | 905.26    |      0    |
| 25 Telengana   | 93.48           | 352.92         |    468.25 |    997.83 | 498.92    |      0    |
| 26 Tripura     | 18.38           | 22.71          |     59.21 |     52.83 | 63.54     |      0    |
| 27 Uttar Pr.   | 354.47          | 1716.42        |   2442.05 |   4638.62 | 2319.31   |      0    |
| 28 Uttarakhand | 23.40           | 65.19          |    144.7  |    218.46 | 224.30    |    120.6  |
| 29 West Bengal | 117.14          | 480.12         |   1094.96 |   1274.36 | 405.80    |      0    |
| 30 Puducherry  | 0.00            | 0.00           |      0    |     19.87 | 14.90     |      0    |
| 31 A&N Island  | 0.00            | 0.00           |      0    |      7.7  | 0.00      |      0    |
| 32 D&N Haveli  | 0.00            | 0.00           |      0    |      8.34 | 0.00      |      0    |
| Total          | 2378.07         | 9635.54        |  13366.5  |  29883.8  | 19553.14  |   1235.28 |

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