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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Govt plans 'soil health cards' for all farmers -Vishwa Mohan

Govt plans 'soil health cards' for all farmers -Vishwa Mohan

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published Published on Jun 17, 2014   modified Modified on Jun 17, 2014
-The Times of India
 

NEW DELHI: Seeking to spur agricultural growth, the Centre will soon launch a comprehensive plan to provide 'Soil Health Card' to all farmers across the country. The card will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms, making it possible for farmers to improve productivity by wisely using inputs.

A computerized system will be developed, allowing local agriculture science centres to keep details of 'soil test' results. Soil samples will be collected even from small farms in remote villages.

The system will, eventually, allow farmers to download the 'Soil Health Card' using 'unique number' allotted to each soil sample. This way, any change in ownership of the particular farm land will not create any problem in getting such cards or getting it updated.

Though a few states including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana had successfully distributed such cards a couple of years ago, most states did not make it operational beyond villages around various agricultural universities. The Centre's fresh move will make it universal.

"Providing 'Soil Health Card' to all farmers across the country is our priority. We are working out the details, studying best practices being followed by different states," agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said.

He told TOI that the move will help farmers in identifying "health of the soil" which will go a long way in improving productivity through judicious use of fertilizers and water.

Since collecting 'soil samples' and uploading/updating the test results will be a mammoth exercise, the Centre may write to states urging them to take help of students of agriculture universities in doing this. Officials here do not rule out the possibility of linking the final degree of agriculture students with their work in fields like helping 'Krishi Vigyan Kendra' officials in sample collection and its periodic update.

All soil samples will be tested in various soil testing labs across the country. Thereafter, experts will analyze the strengths and weaknesses (micro-nutrients deficiency) of the soil and suggest measures to deal with it. The result and suggestion will be displayed in the cards.

Singh said, "Distributing 'Soil Health Card' to all farmers and providing irrigation facility to all villages under the 'Pradhan Mantri Gramin Krishi Yojna' across the country will be two major components of our agricultural policy."

He added, "We believe that once you provide farmers proper irrigation facility and basic counseling through such cards for using or not using certain fertilizers for certain crops in certain areas, it will improve productivity and cut down costs. Once productivity improves, the other things will fall in place."


The Times of India, 17 June, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-plans-soil-health-cards-for-all-farmers/articleshow/36689371.cms


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