Lok Sabha Question No. 39 (STARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: National Mission on Soil Health Card
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ravneet Singh

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 39

## TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 th  DECEMBER, 2023

## NATIONAL MISSION ON SOIL HEALTH CARD

- *39. SHRI RAVNEET SINGH BITTU: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष और िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state: (a) the total number of Soil Health Cards issued by the Government under the National Mission on Soil Health Card till date, State/UT-wise especially in the State of Punjab; (b) whether  adequate  measures  are  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  facilitate  soil testing at the district and block levels; (c)    if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (d)  whether the Government has a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure regular testing of soil and providing information to farmers about proper usage of fertilizers; and
- (e)   if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष और िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  39  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON  5 th  DECEMBER,  2023 REGARDING NATIONAL MISSION ON SOIL HEALTH CARD.

(a): Soil  Health  Card/  Soil  Health  Management  Schemes  under  National  Project  on Management of Soil Health & Fertility are implemented through the State Government since 2014-15. Now, this scheme has been merged in Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana as Soil Health & Fertility component from year 2022-23. Under the scheme, since, 2014-15, so far 23.59 crore soil health cards have been issued across the country including Punjab. So far as Punjab is concerned, 26.20 lakh soil health cards have been issued in the state.The State-wisedetails  of  number  of  Soil  Health  Cards  issued  under  the  scheme,  including Punjab, are at Annexure-I.

(b) & (c) : The Government is taking adequate measures to facilitate soil testing at the district and block levels. Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs. 75 lakh per lab is provided for setting up static and mobile soil testing labs. There is also provision to provide Rs. 1.50 lakh for setting up Village Level Soil Testing Labs (VLSTLs) at village / Gram Panchayat level.Since, 2014-15, total 8272 Soil Testing Labs (1068 Static, 163 Mobile, 6376 Mini labs and 665 Village Level labs) have been established in States. In addition, 1076 Mini Soil Testing labs have also been established in Krishi Vigyan Kendras and other institutes  of  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR).  Further  to  involve  other stakeholders and to facilitate soil testing at block and village level close to the farmers filed, Village Level Soil Testing Labs (VLSTLs) are set up by entrepreneurs, Self Help Groups (SHGs),  Farm  Producing  Organizations  (FPO),  Primary  Agricultural  Credit  Societies (PACS) etc.

(d) & (e): Government is monitoring the scheme implementation through Soil Health Card  portal  (https://www.soilhealth.dac.gov.in  ),  which  is  updated  on  real  time  basis.  A mobile app is used which capture geo-tagging to develop a national soil fertility map on a Geographic Information System platform. The Soil Health Card Portal has been revamped for  uploading  test  reports  directly  on  portal.  The  soil  health  card  generated  directly accessed by farmers through mobile app and sms. Soil testing laboratories are mapped on portal with geo-coordinates.

Progress of the scheme against the target set in Annual Action Plan is reviewed regularly through video conferences, physical meetings, State visits etc.

Crop based fertilizer usage advisories as per soil health cards are issued to farmers through State Governments, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and Agriculture Technology Management  Agencies  (ATMAs)  Network  from  time  to  time.    The  Demonstrations  on balanced use of fertilizers, based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper & integrated use of fertilizers are integral part of the scheme. Indian Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  also  imparts  training,  organizes  front  line demonstrations  to  educate  farmers  on  these  aspects.  The  Rural  Awareness  Works Experience  (RAWE)  programme  is  restructured  for  Agriculture  graduates  to  generate awareness among farmers on use of soil health card for addressing soil health.

Since 2015, around 6.45 lakh demonstrations, 93781 farmer's trainings and 7425 farmers melas have been organized through the State Governments under the Scheme.

## Annexure-I

State-wise details of number of Soil Health Cards issued under the scheme

| Sl. No.   | States/UTs                           | Total        |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|--------------|
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar                    | 26,397       |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh                       | 1,46,31,164  |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh                    | 70,273       |
| 4         | Assam                                | 26,64,958    |
| 5         | Bihar                                | 1,46,69,629  |
| 6         | Chhattisgarh                         | 94,71,122    |
| 7         | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 1,57,97      |
| 8         | Goa                                  | 54,015       |
| 9         | Gujarat                              | 1,39,32,091  |
| 10        | Haryana                              | 84,15,715    |
| 11        | Himachal Pradesh                     | 13,71,653    |
| 12        | Jammu & Kashmir                      | 21,16,492    |
| 13        | Ladakh                               | 1,718        |
| 14        | Jharkhand                            | 9,25,359     |
| 15        | Karnataka                            | 1,70,18,659  |
| 16        | Kerala                               | 33,26,999    |
| 17        | Madhya Pradesh                       | 1,82,44,638  |
| 18        | Maharashtra                          | 2,64,57,060  |
| 19        | Manipur                              | 2,56,864     |
| 20        | Meghalaya                            | 4,37,946     |
| 21        | Mizoram                              | 30,616       |
| 22        | Nagaland                             | 2,27,988     |
| 23        | Odisha                               | 52,00,023    |
| 24        | Puducherry                           | 34,255       |
| 25        | Punjab                               | 26,19,539    |
| 26        | Rajasthan                            | 1,92,57,558  |
| 27        | Sikkim                               | 1,15,085     |
| 28        | Tamil Nadu                           | 1,41,68,507  |
| 29        | Telangana                            | 1,08,39,437  |
| 30        | Tripura                              | 3,20,558     |
| 31        | Uttar Pradesh                        | 3,77,25,218  |
| 32        | Uttarakhand                          | 16,79,779    |
| 33        | West Bengal                          | 95,54,921    |
| Total     | Total                                | 23,58,82,033 |

*******