Question : Issuance of Soil Health Cards

(a) the rules and criteria laid down for the issuance of Soil Health Card;
(b) the number of farmers who have been issued Soil Health Card in the country, State-wise especially Gujarat along with total number of farmers in Gujarat;
(c) whether the Government has received any complaints from farmers facing difficulties with regard to issuance to Soil Health Cards particularly in Gujarat during the last three years;
(d) whether the Government has taken note of the fact that a large number of farmers could not be issued Soil Health Cards, if so, necessary steps taken by the Government in this regards; and
(e) the details of Soil Health Laboratories in the country, State/UT-wise along with the number of proposed soil health laboratories in the country?

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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(a): Grid based soil testing methodology i.e. 2.5-hectare grid for irrigated areas and 10-hectare grid for rain fed areas was adopted initially (cycle I: 2015-2017 and cycle ll: 2017-2019) to assess the status of 12 soil health parameters viz. primary nutrients (NPK); secondary nutrient (S); micronutrients (B, Zn, Mn, Fe, & Cu); and physical parameters (pH, EC & OC). Farm holding based soil testing was adopted for 6957 model villages (one in each revenue block) during 2019-20. Scientifically sound crop-wise Integrated Nutrient Management recommendations based on General Fertiliser Recommendations(GFR) / Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) are provided to all the farmers in the country through Soil Health Cards to address nutrient deficiencies of the soil.
(b): State-wise number of farmers issued Soil Health Cards including Gujarat is given at Annexure – I.
(c) & (d): No complaint from farmers on issuance of Soil Health Cards has been received from States including Gujarat in the last three years.

(e): The State-wise details of Soil Testing Laboratories in the country is given at Annexure- II. Soil testing labs are sanctioned as per requirement of state governments proposed in their annual action plan. So far, 11531 new labs (491 static, 107 mobile, 8811 minilabs and 2122 village level labs) and strengthening of 829 labs have been sanctioned to the states.