Question : FERTILITY OF LAND

(a) whether the fertility and productivity of land is decreasing constantly in the country due to non-judicious use of pesticides and substandard fertilisers for agriculture purposes;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government has identified the reasons for decline in fertility of land including use of rain water in hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh;

(d) if so, the details and the outcome thereof;

(e) whether the Government has taken steps to save the fertility of soil and to impart training to farmers for the judicious use of pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers and to promote use of bio-fertilisers; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)

(a) to (d): Imbalanced use of fertilizers, low addition of organic matter and non replacement of depleted micro and secondary nutrients over the years, has resulted in nutrient deficiencies and decrease in soil fertility in some parts of the country, particularly in intensively cultivated Indo-Gangetic plains. However, balanced and judicious use of fertilizers and registered pesticides do not affect soil adversely.

(e) & (f): The policies formulated and the measures taken by the Government to ensure soil health and fertility, inter alia, include promotion of soil test based balanced and judicious use of chemical fertilizers, biofertilizers and locally available organic manures to maintain soil health and productivity. A new scheme, namely, National Project on Management of Soil Health & Fertility has been introduced during 2008-09 to promote soil test based balanced and judicious use of chemical fertilizers in conjunction with organic manures. All such organic eco-friendly sources of nutrients presently available can increase fertility of the soil by supplementing chemical fertilizers by nearly 25%.

The Government is providing incentive in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy for establishment of bio-fertilizer units under National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) @ 25% of total outlay restricted to Rs. 40 lakh per unit.

Farmers are being advised to use pesticides judiciously through Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes being organized by Central Integrated Pest Management Centres (CIPMCs) in different States.

Apart from above, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also imparts training and organizes demonstrations to educate farmers on these aspects.