Question : Quality of Soil

(a) whether the Government has any programme to improve the quality of soil in order to increase the productivity;
(b) if so, the details of the specific programme in this regard in the country;
(c) whether the Government has given any suggestions to the farmers from time to time to work for the improvement of the quality of soil;
(d) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken in this regard; and
(e) the number of farmers in districts Tonk and Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan in respect of whom soil quality has been checked?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a)& (b): The Government is implementing Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme since 2015-16 to ascertain soil health and fertility. Soil Health Card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers to maintain good soil health that results in increase in production.The number of soil health cards issued to farmers in the country is given below:

Cycle / Year Number of SHCs issued to farmers
Cycle – I (2015-17) 10.74 crore
Cycle – II (2017-19) 11.97 crore
Model Village Programme (2019-20) 19.64 lakh

(c) & (d): The Government is organizing farmers trainings, demonstrations on farmers field and farmers melas to educate to farmers from time to time for improvement of soil quality. Since 2015, around 6.04 lakh demonstrations, 93,781 trainings and 7425 farmers melas are organized under Soil Health Card scheme.

(e): The Government of Rajasthan has tested 2.52 lakh farmers soil samples in districts Tonk and 1.45 lakh in Sawai Madhopur since 2015-16.

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