Lok Sabha Question No. 28 (STARRED), answered on 2016-04-26
Subject: Soil Health Cards
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH, S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 28

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH  APRIL, 2016

## SOIL HEALTH CARDS

- *28.    DR. PRABHAS KUMAR SINGH: SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has fixed any target to collect soil samples for testing and evaluation of fields  of  individual  farmers  under  the  grid  methodology  of  Soil  Health  Card Scheme in the country, if so, the details and achievements thereof;
- (b) whether the Government plans to shift from the current grid system of soil sampling as the same is a flawed system, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of soil testing laboratories in the country along with the steps taken by the  Government  to  improve  infrastructure  and  capacity  of  such  laboratories  and  the achievements made thereon;
- (d) whether any study or randomised control trials have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of Soil Health Card Programme in improving the productivity of soil and if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to monitor and make the soil Health Card Scheme more effective?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण 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. 28   DUE FOR REPLY ON 26 TH  APRIL, 2016.

- (a): The  Government  has  introduced  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC)  Scheme  with  an  aim  to provide Soil Health Cards (SHCs) to all farmers across the country once in a cycle of 2 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 constitute  the  grid  for  soil  sample  collection.  On  this  basis,  a  total  of  around  2.53  crore samples will be collected and tested to generate about 14 crore soil health cards in respect of every individual farmer.  Initially the plan was to collect all the samples and issue soil health cards to all the farmers once in every period of 3 years. Subsequently, the plan was revised to cover all the farmers once in every period of 2 years. Following this, the target of 253 lakh samples has been redistributed as 100 lakhs for the year 2015-16 and 153 lakhs for the year 2016-17. Against the target of 100 lakh samples for the year 2015-16, 91.14 lakh soil samples have been collected that will generate 4.55 crore soil health cards.  The analysis, printing & distribution is in progress.  For the year 2016-17, target for soil sample collection is 161.86 lakhs.
- (b): The respective grids for both rainfed & irrigated areas has been fixed in consultation with  ICAR  and  State  Governments.  This  is  the  most  representative  sample  collection approach adopted so far and is expected to generate truthful soil nutrient status for every farm and help to recommend appropriate nutrient management advice for different crops.  This is a well accepted methodology by all the concerned stakeholders and there is currently no plan to change the same.

-2-

(c):       As on 31.03.2014, there were 1408 Soil Testing Laboratories (1135 Static and 273 Mobile)   in the country.    Of these   616 had   facility for testing  of micro-nutrients.  Statewise details are given at Annexure-I. To improve infrastructure and capacity of soil testing in  the  country,  the  department  has  sanctioned  funds  for  setting  up  of  103  Static  and  77 Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories and strengthening of 269 number of existing laboratories during the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. These labs are likely to be start functioning during 2016-17. All these laboratories will have facility for testing micronutrients.

(d):       In  order  to  study  the  Soil  Health  Card  Scheme  and  its  effect  on  productivity  of selected  Kharif  crops,  the  Department  has  assigned  a  study  to  institute  for  Social  and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru, this study has been mandated to collect benchmark data  on  current  nutrient  management  practices  and  to  analyze  the  effect  of  soil  health cards in terms of rise in production, reduction in and balanced use of fertilizers etc.  The preliminary report is expected by June-July, 2016 and the study is targeted to be completed by March, 2017.

(e): To monitor Soil Health Card Scheme, weekly video conferencing is being held in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare with the State Government officials.  The  weekly  progress  is  monitored  and  necessary  guidance  for  improvement  is given.  An  Inter-Ministerial  Monitoring  Committee  has  been  constituted  which  monitor  the scheme once every two weeks in which representatives of Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  and  National  Informatics  Centre  (NIC)  also  participate  along  with Department Officials. Also, the State Governments are advised to upload the information at block & district level on the monitoring module of the Soil Health  Card Portal regularly. The

department has deployed a workflow based web portal which facilitates upload of data at different stages - sample collection, testing, soil health card generation besides enabling monitoring through MIS. Also officers from the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare are deputed to States to monitor the implementation of the Soil Health Card Scheme. The department has held regional meetings with all the States to orient the States on effective implementation of the scheme. At various meetings and conferences of the department, the Soil Health Card Scheme is discussed regularly with the States.

Annexure-I State-wise Number of Soil Testing Laboratories (STLs) in the country

| Sl. No.   | State             | Static STLs   | Mobile STLs   | Total STLs   | STLs with Micronutrient testing facilities   |
|-----------|-------------------|---------------|---------------|--------------|----------------------------------------------|
|           | South Zone        |               |               |              |                                              |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 49            | 5             | 54           | 38                                           |
| 2         | Karnataka         | 62            | 3             | 65           | 29                                           |
| 3         | Kerala            | 15            | 13            | 28           | 7                                            |
| 4         | Tamil Nadu        | 32            | 17            | 49           | 49                                           |
| 5         | Puducherry        | 2             | 0             | 2            | 0                                            |
| 6         | Telangana         | 40            | 4             | 44           | 17                                           |
|           | Total             | 200           | 42            | 242          | 140                                          |
|           | West Zone         |               |               |              |                                              |
| 7         | Gujarat           | 136           | 5             | 141          | 56                                           |
| 8         | Madhya Pradesh    | 52            | 21            | 73           | 35                                           |
| 9         | Maharashtra       | 131           | 37            | 168          | 168                                          |
| 10        | Rajasthan         | 90            | 24            | 114          | 5                                            |
| 11        | D&N Haveli        | 0             | 0             | 0            | 0                                            |
| 12        | Chhattisgarh      | 17            | 5             | 22           | 8                                            |
| 13        | Goa               | 3             | 1             | 4            | 2                                            |
|           | Total             | 429           | 93            | 522          | 274                                          |
|           | North Zone        |               |               |              |                                              |
| 14        | Haryana           | 37            | 3             | 40           | 27                                           |
| 15        | Punjab            | 56            | 15            | 71           | 18                                           |
| 16        | Uttarakhand       | 13            | 3             | 16           | 7                                            |
| 17        | Uttar Pradesh     | 260           | 31            | 291          | 32                                           |
| 18        | Himachal Pradesh  | 11            | 10            | 21           | 16                                           |
| 19        | Jammu & Kashmir   | 13            | 11            | 24           | 12                                           |
| 20        | Delhi             | 1             | 0             | 1            | 0                                            |
|           | Total             | 391           | 73            | 464          | 112                                          |
|           | East Zone         |               |               |              |                                              |
| 21        | Bihar             | 39            | 6             | 45           | 33                                           |
| 22        | Jharkhand         | 8             | 0             | 8            | 8                                            |
| 23        | Odisha            | 21            | 12            | 33           | 33                                           |
| 24        | West Bengal       | 22            | 14            | 36           | 7                                            |
|           | Total             | 90            | 32            | 122          | 81                                           |
|           | NE Zone           |               |               |              |                                              |
| 25        | Assam             | 9             | 6             | 15           | 8                                            |
| 26        | Tripura           | 3             | 5             | 8            | 1                                            |
| 27        | Manipur           | 4             | 4             | 8            | 0                                            |
| 28        | Meghalaya         | 3             | 3             | 6            | 0                                            |
| 29        | Nagaland          | 4             | 0             | 4            | 0                                            |
| 30        | Arunachal Pradesh | 5             | 3             | 8            | 0                                            |
| 31        | Sikkim            | 4             | 2             | 6            | 0                                            |
| 32        | Mizoram           | 3             | 3             | 6            | 0                                            |
|           | Total             | 35            | 26            | 61           | 9                                            |
|           | Grand Total       | 1145          | 266           | 1411         | 616                                          |

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