Lok Sabha Question No. 4511 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-28
Subject: Soil Testing of Agriculture Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas, Behanan Benny, Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil, Chandra Sekhar Bellana

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4511

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 28 th MARCH, 2023

## SOIL TESTING OF AGRICULTURE LAND

4511.  SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  policies  formulated  by  the  Government  for  soil-testing  of  the agricultural lands of the farmers;
- (b) whether the Government is conducting soil test through charitable/Non-Government or Governmental organisations and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the details of the policies regarding launching new Soil Testing Centres;
- (d) the number of fully functional soil testing labs across the country, State-wise;
- (e)  the  number  of  permanent  and  non-permanent  employees  working  in  these  labs  and vacancies for the same, State-wise;
- (f)  the details of budgetary expenditure on soil testing labs run by the Government for the last five years;
- (g)  whether  all  labs  are  adequately  equipped  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted international standards, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (h) the steps taken to increase the number of such labs at the village level?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (h): Government  has  launched  the  Soil  Health  Card  scheme  under  National Project on Soil Health and Fertility in the year 2015 with an aim to assist the States/Union Territories to provide Soil Health Cards for all farm holdings across the country. Soil health card provides information to the farmers on fertility status of their soils to enables them to apply  soil  health  card  based  recommended  balanced  doses  of  fertilizers  in  an  integrated way  in  conjunctive  use  of  chemical  fertilizers,  organic  fertilizers  and  bio-fertilizers  so  as expected  to  reduce  the  consumption  of  chemical  fertilizers  and  increase  use  of  organic sources  of  plant  nutrients  which  in  turn  improve  the  soil  fertility  as  well  as  nutrient  use efficiency.  Interventions  proposed  for  the  Scheme  includes  development  of  modalities  for soil  sample  collection  along  with  standard  sampling  norms,  quality  control  in  the  soil analysis,  training  of  sampling  staff  and  soil  testinglab  personnel,  intensive  use  of  ICT  for database management  for faster delivery of soil health cards in PPP  mode  like charitable/Non-Government and popularizing soil test based Integrated Nutrient Management through field demonstrations.

Under the Soil  Health Management scheme there is provision to set up static Soil Testing  Labs  (STLs),  Mobile  Soil  Testing  Labs,  Mini  Soil  Testing  Labs  and  Village  Soil Testing  Labs  besides  strengthening  of  existing  laboratories  to  enable  them  to  undertake micro-nutrient  testing.  The  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  the  states  for  purchasing  of machinery & equipment, chemicals & glassware in Soil Testing Laboratories. No financial assistance is provided to state for hiring of man power. Therefore, the data of employees working in Soil Testing Laboratories in states are not maintained by Government of India. The  state-wise  details  of  functional  soil  testing  laboratories  sanctioned  to  states  during 2014-15  to  2022-23  are  at Annexure-I. Details  of  State-wise  release  of  funds  by  the Government of India under the scheme during the last five years are at Annexure-II.

Establishment  of  Village  Level  Soil  Testing  Labs      has  been  taken  up  under  Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme with the objective of employment generation for rural youth and improve timelines in analysis of soil samples.  Financial assistance for setting up of Village Level Soil Testing Labs can be availed byAgri-Clinics and Agri Business Centres (AC&ABC),  Agri-prenures,  Ex-servicemen,  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs),  Farmer  Producer Organizations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), Farmer Joint Liability Groups, Farmer  Cooperative  Societies,  PACS,  Input  Retail  Outlets,  Input  Retailers  and  Schools  / Colleges.Soil  Testing  Labs  are  equipped  with  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research (ICAR)  validated  instruments&  equipments  who  met  adequate  standards.  Government  is promoting  mini  soil  testing  labs  and  providing  financial  assistance  to  set  up  in  order  to increase the village level soil testing labs.

Annexure-I Details of State-wise Soil Testing Laboratories sanctioned to states from the year 2014-15 to

## 2022-23

| S. No   | States            | Number of               | Number of               | Number of             | Number of                      | Number of   |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------------|-------------|
|         |                   | Static Soil Testing Lab | Mobile Soil Testing Lab | Mini Soil Testing Lab | Village Level Soil Testing Lab | Total       |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 0                       | 9                       | 1328                  | 16                             | 1353        |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 6                       | 0                       | 0                     | 0                              | 6           |
| 3       | Assam             | 21                      | 2                       | 200                   | 35                             | 258         |
| 4       | Bihar             | 0                       | 6                       | 0                     | 258                            | 264         |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh      | 23                      | 0                       | 111                   | 35                             | 169         |
| 6       | Goa               | 1                       | 1                       | 0                     | 0                              | 2           |
| 7       | Gujarat           | 4                       | 2                       | 230                   | 114                            | 350         |
| 8       | Haryana           | 22                      | 6                       | 109                   | 150                            | 287         |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh  | 1                       | 7                       | 69                    | 0                              | 77          |
| 10      | J&K               | 5                       | 8                       | 0                     | 28                             | 41          |
| 11      | Jharkhand         | 0                       | 0                       | 1300                  | 0                              | 1300        |
| 12      | Karnataka         | 0                       | 7                       | 6                     | 289                            | 302         |
| 13      | Kerala            | 0                       | 2                       | 152                   | 0                              | 154         |
| 14      | Madhya Pradesh    | 265                     | 10                      | 626                   | 30                             | 931         |
| 15      | Maharashtra       | 41                      | 10                      | 1318                  | 0                              | 1369        |
| 16      | Manipur           | 9                       | 0                       | 0                     | 2                              | 11          |
| 17      | Meghalaya         | 2                       | 0                       | 8                     | 0                              | 10          |
| 18      | Mizoram           | 5                       | 0                       | 0                     | 0                              | 5           |
| 19      | Nagaland          | 20                      | 3                       | 0                     | 74                             | 97          |
| 20      | Odisha            | 4                       | 19                      | 0                     | 135                            | 158         |
| 21      | Puducherry        | 0                       | 0                       | 0                     | 10                             | 10          |
| 22      | Punjab            | 0                       | 0                       | 128                   | 104                            | 232         |
| 23      | Rajasthan         | 55                      | 0                       | 0                     | 50                             | 105         |
| 24      | Sikkim            | 0                       | 0                       | 0                     | 14                             | 14          |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu        | 8                       | 10                      | 0                     | 2                              | 20          |
| 26      | Telangana         | 0                       | 3                       | 2050                  | 711                            | 2764        |
| 27      | Tripura           | 4                       | 2                       | 100                   | 25                             | 131         |
| 28      | Uttar Pradesh     | 3                       | 10                      | 0                     | 300                            | 313         |
| 29      | Uttarakhand       | 0                       | 2                       | 0                     | 1                              | 3           |
| 30      | West Bengal       | 12                      | 4                       | 0                     | 0                              | 16          |
| 31      | A & N             | 0                       | 0                       | 0                     | 0                              | 0           |
| 32      | Ladakh            | 0                       | 0                       | 0                     | 12                             | 12          |
|         | Total             | 511                     | 123                     | 7735                  | 2395                           | 10764       |
| 33      | ICAR              | 0                       | 0                       | 1076                  | 0                              | 1076        |
|         | Grand Total       | 511                     | 123                     | 8811                  | 2395                           | 11840       |

## Annexure-II

## Details of State-wise release of funds by the Government of India under the Soil Health Card scheme and Soil Health Management scheme

(Rs. in crore)

| Sl. No.   |                   | Funds released          | Funds released                | Funds released   |
|-----------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of the State | Soil Health Card scheme | Soil Health Management scheme | Total            |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 65.56                   | 46.90                         | 112.46           |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh | 3.09                    | 6.04                          | 9.13             |
| 3         | Assam             | 27.91                   | 11.80                         | 39.71            |
| 4         | Bihar             | 31.96                   | 11.17                         | 43.13            |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      | 29.00                   | 16.16                         | 45.16            |
| 6         | Goa               | 0.39                    | 2.61                          | 3.00             |
| 7         | Gujarat           | 48.33                   | 7.90                          | 56.22            |
| 8         | Haryana           | 27.67                   | 9.44                          | 37.11            |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh  | 9.49                    | 8.43                          | 17.92            |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir   | 8.82                    | 12.81                         | 21.63            |
| 11        | Jharkhand         | 8.94                    | 7.47                          | 16.41            |
| 12        | Karnataka         | 58.83                   | 33.19                         | 92.03            |
| 13        | Kerala            | 7.15                    | 1.41                          | 8.56             |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh    | 80.08                   | 45.05                         | 125.12           |
| 15        | Maharashtra       | 97.67                   | 30.44                         | 128.11           |
| 16        | Manipur           | 2.54                    | 4.56                          | 7.10             |
| 17        | Meghalaya         | 3.05                    | 3.02                          | 6.06             |
| 18        | Mizoram           | 1.42                    | 2.22                          | 3.65             |
| 19        | Nagaland          | 3.60                    | 27.40                         | 31.00            |
| 20        | Odisha            | 29.65                   | 12.63                         | 42.29            |
| 21        | Punjab            | 20.80                   | 6.38                          | 27.17            |
| 22        | Rajasthan         | 59.99                   | 13.33                         | 73.32            |
| 23        | Sikkim            | 2.12                    | 9.72                          | 11.84            |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu        | 41.95                   | 19.38                         | 61.33            |
| 25        | Telangana         | 33.05                   | 44.03                         | 77.08            |
| 26        | Tripura           | 3.81                    | 5.90                          | 9.71             |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh     | 143.82                  | 24.40                         | 168.22           |
| 28        | Uttarakhand       | 14.96                   | 2.35                          | 17.31            |
| 29        | West Bengal       | 32.49                   | 8.53                          | 41.01            |
| 30        | Pondicherry       | 0.47                    | 0.88                          | 1.34             |
| 31        | A&N Island        | 0.19                    | 0.24                          | 0.43             |
| 32        | DD & DN Haveli    | 0.10                    | 0.20                          | 0.31             |
| 33        | Ladakh            | 0.15                    | 0.64                          | 0.78             |
|           | Total             | 899.03                  | 436.63                        | 1335.66          |

*****