Lok Sabha Question No. 12 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-21
Subject: Soil Health Cards
Ministry: AGRICULTURE
Asked by: SUKENDER REDDY GUTHA, LALLU SINGH

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & COOPERATION

**LOK  SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO. 12**

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 ST JULY, 2015

**SOIL HEALTH CARDS**

*12. 	SHRI GUTHA SUKENDER REDDY:

SHRI LALLU SINGH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE 	  ‡ãðŠãäÓã ½ãâ¨ããè

be pleased to state:

(a) 	whether the Government has introduced a comprehensive plan to provide Soil Health Cards to all the farmers across the country;

(b) 	if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the criteria laid down for the issuance of the Soil Health Cards to the farmers and policy directives to States for maintaining productivity of soil;

(c)	 the details of funds allocated for the purpose during the current year, State/ UT-wise;

(d)	 whether the Government proposes to set up soil testing and research laboratories including mobile soil testing laboratories at various locations in the country; and

(e)	 if so, the details thereof?

### ANSWER

####### MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

###### ‡ãðŠãäÓã ½ãâ¨ããè		 				             (SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

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

**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  12  DUE FOR REPLY ON 21** **ST** **JULY, 2015.**

(a) & (b):	The Government has introduced Soil Health Card  (SHC) Scheme with the aim to provide Soil Health Cards to all farmers across the country once in  a cycle of 3 years.   Soil Health Cards provide farmers with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for cultivation of various crops along with soil amendments.

Nationally agreed norms / standards of 10 hectares  for rainfed areas and 2.5 hectare for  irrigated areas will be the grid for soil sample collection.  A total of around 2.53 crore samples will be collected and tested to generate 14 crore soil health cards to individual farmers.

(c):     	The sharing pattern of funds for the project between Government of India and  the States is in the ratio of 50:50.   The details of state-wise funds allocated  for the scheme  during the current year  2015-16 is given in Annexure-I.  Under the  Scheme, Government of India  will provide  assistance to State Governments to issue SHCs and also to develop a database to improve service delivery.  It supplements the ongoing scheme to create / strengthen capacity in terms of rapid and low cost diagnostic techniques, mobile laboratories, portable soil testing kits and referral laboratories.  It provides improved and targeted guidelines to manage deficiencies and scientific expertise in diagnostic and management of nutrients deficiencies.

(d) & (e):	Under Soil Health Management (SHM)  component of National Mission for sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), there is provision for strengthening the existing ones and  setting up static as well as mobile soil testing laboratories.  Financial assistance up

Contd…2/-

-2-

to 50% of total project cost subject to a limit of Rs. 37.50 lakh per laboratory is provided to States for purchase of machinery and equipments, chemicals & glasswares and miscellaneous laboratory articles for setting up of new static/mobile soil testing laboratories. For strengthening soil testing laboratories financial assistance up to 50 % subject to a limit of Rs. 22.50 lakh is provided to States to create micronutrient testing facilities.  There is also a provision to set up referral laboratories in the State.  The eligible expenditure limit is the same as setting up of static laboratories.  There is no component called research laboratory.  State-wise allocation for 2015-16 for setting up/ strengthening of Soil Testing laboratories is given at Annexure-II.

|                                                                     |                   | **Annexure-I**             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|----------------------------|
|                                                                     |                   |                            |
| **State-wise Allocation for 2015-16 under Soil Health Card Scheme** |                   |                            |
|                                                                     |                   | (Rs in lakh)               |
| **Sl. No.**                                                         | **State**         | **Allocation (GOI Share)** |
| 1                                                                   | Andhra Pradesh    | 508.61                     |
| 2                                                                   | Arunachal Pradesh | 15.58                      |
| 3                                                                   | Assam             | 124.16                     |
| 4                                                                   | Bihar             | 483.80                     |
| 5                                                                   | Chhattisgarh      | 277.87                     |
| 6                                                                   | Goa               | 12.98                      |
| 7                                                                   | Gujarat           | 602.19                     |
| 8                                                                   | Haryana           | 287.21                     |
| 9                                                                   | Himachal Pradesh  | 35.07                      |
| 10                                                                  | J&K               | 68.67                      |
| 11                                                                  | Jharkhand         | 54.21                      |
| 12                                                                  | Karnataka         | 646.47                     |
| 13                                                                  | Kerala            | 61.24                      |
| 14                                                                  | Madhya Pradesh    | 886.50                     |
| 15                                                                  | Maharashtra       | 931.78                     |
| 16                                                                  | Manipur           | 15.94                      |
| 17                                                                  | Meghalaya         | 18.63                      |
| 18                                                                  | Mizoram           | 12.58                      |
| 19                                                                  | Nagaland          | 20.24                      |
| 20                                                                  | Odisha            | 269.88                     |
| 21                                                                  | Punjab            | 303.90                     |
| 22                                                                  | Rajasthan         | 873.92                     |
| 23                                                                  | Sikkim            | 10.82                      |
| 24                                                                  | Tamil Nadu        | 468.02                     |
| 25                                                                  | Telengana         | 392.13                     |
| 26                                                                  | Tripura           | 20.49                      |
| 27                                                                  | Uttarakhand       | 58.08                      |
| 28                                                                  | Uttar Pradesh     | 1706.44                    |
| 29                                                                  | West Bengal       | 478.63                     |
|                                                                     | **Total**         | **9646.17**                |

**Annexure-II**

**State-wise allocation for setting up / strengthening soil testing laboratories during 2015-16.**

(Rs in lakh)

| **Sl. No.**   | **State**        | **Allocation**   |
|---------------|------------------|------------------|
| 1.            | Andhra Pradesh   | 300.95           |
| 2.            | Telangana        | 137.50           |
| 3.            | Karnataka        | 585.00           |
| 4.            | Tamil Nadu       | 165.00           |
| 5.            | Tripura          | 37.50            |
| 6.            | Nagaland         | 37.50            |
| 7.            | Mizoram          | 6.01             |
| 8.            | Bihar            | 202.50           |
| 9.            | Jharkhand        | 22.50            |
| 10.           | Odisha           | 225.00           |
| 11.           | West Bengal      | 637.50           |
| 12.           | Chhattisgarh     | 300.00           |
| 13.           | Goa              | 60.00            |
| 14.           | Uttarakhand      | 45.00            |
| 15.           | Uttar Pradesh    | 1075.00          |
| 16.           | Himachal Pradesh | 112.50           |
| 17.           | Kerala           | 17.573           |
| 18.           | Sikkim           | 22.50            |
|               | **Total**        | **3989.533**     |

******