Soil health card initiative improved productivity: Agriculture ministry

Soil health card initiative improved productivity: Agriculture ministry

 

NEW DELHI: Crop yields of oil seed have increased as high as 66% while the cost of producing paddy has gone down by as low as 25%. For this, the Ministry of Agriculture is giving credit to the soil health card scheme – in which crop wise recommendation is given on nutrients and fertilizers required for farms.

Further, the consumption of nitrogen fertilisers has decreased while usage of phosphorus potash and micronutrients has increased, the ministry said.

“There has been 16-25% reduction in the cost of paddy farming and 10-15% reduction in pulses and oilseeds farming. There has been 10-25% increase in the production of paddy, 10-15% in the production of coarse cereals, 10-30% in pulses, and 35-66% in the production of oilseeds,”it said adding that the survey was collected from farmers of 136 districts of 16 states in the country.

About 14 crore soil health cards have been created by the state governments and till May 31 and distributed to eight crore farmers, said a statement by the ministry. “In the next three months, the rest of the farmers will receive their soil health cards,”it said.

The card provides information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on appropriate dosage of nutrients for improving soil health and its fertility.
This also gives farmers information about the nature of the soil. And post recommendations, the farmers use fertilisers and other chemicals accordingly.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in February’2015 launched the nationwide soil health card scheme from Suratgarh, Rajasthan wherein farmers across the country were provided help in scientifically monitoring the condition of soil at their farms at regular intervals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: ECONOMIC TIMES