Lok Sabha Question No. 1763 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-10
Subject: Soil Health Card
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Varun Chaudhry

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1763 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## SOIL HEALTH CARD

1763.  SHRI VARUN CHAUDHRY:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state? (a) the number of sampling, preparation and distribution of Soil Health cards during the last five years, year and State-wise; (b) the expenditure involved in sampling, preparation and distribution of soil health cards; and

- (c) the output of distribution of soil health cards regarding the trend of utilisation of urea and other fertilisers in the various States and Union Territories during the last five years ?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a): The details of number of sample collection, testing and generation/distribution of Soil Health Cards (SHCs) during the last five years, year-wise and state-wise are at Annexure-I . (b):  Rs.  624.25  crore  has  been  released  as  Central  Share  to  States  and  UTs  for  the implementation of the Scheme during the last five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Rs. 300 per SHC is  the  cost  norm  under  the  scheme  of  Soil  Health  &  Fertility  provided  for  sampling, preparation and distribution of soil health cards.

(c):  Government promotes judicious use of fertilizer through Soil Health & Fertility scheme since  2014-15  to  provide  SHCs  for  all  farm  holdings,  to  promote  balanced  and  integrated nutrient management for improving productivity and soil fertility. Since inception of the scheme, till date 25.79 crore SHCs have been generated.

National  Productivity  Council  (NPC),  New  Delhi  carried  out  a  study  'Soil  Testing Infrastructure for Faster Delivery of SHC in India' in 2017 in 76 districts of 19 States covering 170 soil testing labs and 1700 farmers. As a result of application of fertilizer and micronutrients as  per  SHC  recommendations,  there  has  been  a  decrease  of  use  of  chemical  fertilizer application in the range of 8-10% was found. Overall 5-6% increase in the yield of crops was reported, due to application of fertilizer and micronutrients as per SHC.

An  impact  study  of  Soil  Health  &  Fertility  Scheme  (November  2017)  was  conducted  by National  Institute  of  Agricultural  Extension  Management  (MANAGE),  Hyderabad.  As  per report, about 62.8% of the farmers use fertilizers according to the recommendations on the SHC.  The cost per acre reduced by 4 to 10 % due to low fertilizer use. Crop yields increased for majority of the crops, although moderately.

NITI Ayog has conducted schemes evaluation during 2025 and found that the SHC has contributed  to  correcting  fertilizer  imbalance  (by  reducing  the  excessive  use  of  urea)  and improving productivity. The scheme has also helped in achieving the broader objectives of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM). About 68.5% of the surveyed farmers reported a clear improvement in soil health after using natural inputs, while 25.7% of farmers reported only a marginal improvement.

The consumption of Urea and other fertilizers depend on various interrelated factors like; cropping patterns and area, irrigation, high-yielding varieties, soil characteristics and its health, climate  and  weather  conditions,  etc.  The  year-wise  consumption/sale  of  urea  and  other fertilizers during the last five years are at Annexure-II .

## Annexure-I

The details of number of sample collection, testing and generation/distribution of Soil Health Cards (SHCs) during the last five years, year-wise and state-wise.

## (In Numbers)

| State                                | 2020-21           | 2020-21                        | 2021-22                               | 2022-23           | 2022-23                        | 2023-24           | 2023-24                        | 2024-25           | 2024-25                        | Total             | Total                          |
|--------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
| State                                | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected                     | samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated |
| Andaman & Nicobar                    | 3000              | 3000                           | As SHC component was not implemente d | 3000              | 2850                           | 913               | 604                            | 10000             | 9999                           | 16913             | 16453                          |
| Andhra Pradesh                       | 0                 | 0                              | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 278153            | 258716                         | 449757            | 449753                         | 727910            | 708469                         |
| Arunachal Pradesh                    | 53                | 53                             | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 2250              | 2275                           | 100000            | 100020                         | 102303            | 102348                         |
| Assam                                | 0                 | 0                              | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 298482            | 295182                         | 1012370           | 1011600                        | 1310852           | 1306782                        |
| Bihar                                | 274158            | 333359                         | As SHC component was not implemente d | 502852            | 1510587                        | 200000            | 250048                         | 500000            | 500000                         | 1477010           | 2593994                        |
| Chhattisgarh                         | 5317              | 5317                           | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 160000            | 160678                         | 174902            | 174875                         | 340219            | 340870                         |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu | 0                 | 0                              | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 0                 | 0                              | 0                 | 0                              | 0                 | 0                              |
| Goa                                  | 6556              | 6556                           | As SHC component was not implemente d | 9033              | 9033                           | 8986              | 8783                           | 11889             | 10341                          | 36464             | 34713                          |
| Gujarat                              | 0                 | 0                              | As SHC component was not implemente d | 179769            | 88422                          | 178634            | 178286                         | 623844            | 623295                         | 982247            | 890003                         |
| Haryana                              | 18972             | 18972                          | As SHC component was not implemente d | 600000            | 600000                         | 299522            | 297772                         | 599994            | 583159                         | 1518488           | 1499903                        |
| Himachal Pradesh                     | 25152             | 25152                          | As SHC component was not implemente d | 24134             | 24134                          | 12000             | 12361                          | 74000             | 74084                          | 135286            | 135731                         |
| Jammu & Kashmir                      | 77519             | 77519                          | As SHC component was not implemente d | 272378            | 186890                         | 54000             | 57905                          | 80524             | 80314                          | 484421            | 402628                         |
| Jharkhand                            | 0                 | 0                              | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 120511            | 112024                         | 238073            | 234959                         | 358584            | 346983                         |
| Karnataka                            | 105546            | 105546                         | As SHC component was not implemente d | 177359            | 177359                         | 221427            | 221427                         | 268000            | 268000                         | 772332            | 772332                         |
| Kerala                               | 118022            | 118022                         | As SHC component was not implemente d | 0                 | 0                              | 0                 | 0                              | 110871            | 107904                         | 228893            | 225926                         |

| Ladakh         | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 0                 | 0                              | 3306              | 931                            | 2897              | 1898                           | 6203              | 2829                           |
|----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
| Madhya Pradesh | 168454            | 168454                         |                   | 183443            | 168208                         | 555480            | 465296                         | 1190918           | 1144843                        | 2098295           | 1946801                        |
| Maharashtra    | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 206153            | 206153                         | 256553            | 240246                         | 301000            | 497012                         | 763706            | 943411                         |
| Manipur        | 4147              | 4147                           |                   | 7800              | 7800                           | 164               | 0                              | 411               | 346                            | 12522             | 12293                          |
| State          | 2020-21           | 2020-21                        | 2021-22           | 2022-23           | 2022-23                        | 2023-24           | 2023-24                        | 2024-25           | 2024-25                        | Total             | Total                          |
|                | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated | Samples collected | Sample tested & SHCs generated |
| Meghalaya      | 10022             | 14195                          |                   | 0                 | 0                              | 13000             | 13000                          | 24999             | 24999                          | 48021             | 52194                          |
| Mizoram        | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 2857              | 2857                           | 5170              | 5170                           | 29825             | 29727                          | 37852             | 37754                          |
| Nagaland       | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 14800             | 14800                          | 14800             | 14752                          | 110977            | 110977                         | 140577            | 140529                         |
| Odisha         | 119093            | 142078                         |                   | 454062            | 325484                         | 100012            | 14163                          | 498835            | 498763                         | 1172002           | 980488                         |
| Puducherry     | 3006              | 3006                           |                   | 0                 | 0                              | 3000              | 3002                           | 3000              | 3000                           | 9006              | 9008                           |
| Punjab         | 19196             | 19196                          |                   | 202826            | 168745                         | 119626            | 87944                          | 247777            | 139485                         | 589425            | 415370                         |
| Rajasthan      | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 154429            | 154429                         | 273004            | 268578                         | 344818            | 341022                         | 772251            | 764029                         |
| Sikkim         | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 3000              | 3000                           | 15000             | 15035                          | 60000             | 60000                          | 78000             | 78035                          |
| Tamil Nadu     | 357000            | 357000                         |                   | 134050            | 134050                         | 250400            | 250264                         | 400000            | 400000                         | 1141450           | 1141314                        |
| Telangana      | 165527            | 165527                         |                   | 0                 | 0                              | 0                 | 0                              | 142896            | 141440                         | 308423            | 306967                         |
| Tripura        | 6816              | 6816                           |                   | 20075             | 20000                          | 16848             | 15211                          | 36683             | 36661                          | 80422             | 78688                          |
| Uttar Pradesh  | 28109             | 28109                          |                   | 593449            | 392257                         | 485035            | 485022                         | 826000            | 826000                         | 1932593           | 1731388                        |
| Uttarakhand    | 122167            | 81876                          |                   | 57424             | 25305                          | 52368             | 52368                          | 100570            | 100913                         | 332529            | 260462                         |
| West Bengal    | 0                 | 0                              |                   | 0                 | 0                              | 332990            | 326095                         | 392474            | 378096                         | 725464            | 704191                         |
| Total          | 1637832           | 1683900                        |                   | 3802893           | 4222363                        | 4331634           | 4113138                        | 8968304           | 8963485                        | 18740663          | 18982886                       |

Source: SHC Portal.

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## Annexure-II

Year-wise consumption/sale of urea and other fertilizers during the last five years (2021-22 to 2025-26)

(In`000 tonnes)

| Year    |    UREA |      DAP |     MOP |   Complex |     SSP |   Total |
|---------|---------|----------|---------|-----------|---------|---------|
| 2020-21 | 35050.5 | 11918.5  | 3431.81 |   12582.4 | 4488.92 | 67472.1 |
| 2021-22 | 34173.2 |  9264.26 | 2392.97 |   12137.9 | 5676.43 | 63644.8 |
| 2022-23 | 35725.6 | 10531    | 1631.87 |   10730.8 | 5017.76 | 63637.1 |
| 2023-24 | 35780.9 | 10973    | 1645.28 |   11680   | 4544.29 | 64623.5 |
| 2024-25 | 38792.5 |  9629.04 | 2202.54 |   14971.9 | 4928.49 | 70524.4 |

Source: iFMS portal