Soil Health Card

NAME  :  Soil Health Card

TYPE OF YOJANA  :  This is a scheme which provides free soil testing facilities and provides soil health card to farmers across India. This scheme is part of National Mission for Sustainable Agricultural ( NMSA )

MINISTRY  :  Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

WEBSITE ( PORTAL )  :  https://soilhealth.dac.gov.in/

 PURPOSE  :  The main purpose of Soil Health Card is to make Agriculture more productive, sustainable and climate resilient and to conserve natural resources by adopting comprehensive soil health management practices and to optimize utilization of water resources.

• To achieve this purpose soil health management under NMSA has been identified as one of the most important intervention. Under this yojana integrated nutrient management, organic farming practices, up gradation of skills of extension staff and farmers through training will promoted.

STRUCTURE  :  Under this yojana a Soil Health Cards will be issued to 14 Crore farmers across India in 3 years time span.

• The cards will be given out after testing the soil samples determining the quality of soil, identifying its macro- and micronutrients as well as its acidic level and organic content. On the basis of these determinants, farmers are expected to receive guidance on the fertilisers to use and the soil amendments to make in order to improve the quality of soil on their farms.

• Soil samples are collected by the staff of Agriculture Department or through outsourced agency or through the students of local Agricultural college students free of cost and sent for testing in Soil Testing Labs.

• After due tests are completed a Soil Health Card is printed which through the portal soilhealth.dac.gov.in registers the soil samples, records the results of testing of samples in soil testing laboratory and generates Fertilizer recommendations based on Soil Test Crop Response ( STCR) and generates MIS report. On the basis of this report Soil Health Card is printed. Again through the same machinery the printed Soil Health Card is delivered to the Farmers.

LAUNCHING  DETAILS  :  This yojana was launched by Hon. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister on 19^th February 2015 at a function held in Suratgarh, Rajasthan. Shri Modi gave the slogan “Swastha Dharaa Khet Harra”

BENEFICIARIES  :  Till date two cycles of this yojana have been conducted

• In the first Cycle 2 Crores 53 Lac samples were collected and all were successfully tested. Total 10 Crores 73 Lakhs Soil Health Cards were printed and distributed.

• In the second cycle which currently going on and not completed so far  2 Crores 52 Lac samples were collected and tested. 6 Crore 62 Lac soil health cards are printed and 6 Crores 20 Lakhs cards are distributed till date.