PM may launch soil health card scheme: Agri minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch a soil health card scheme for farmers across the country from Rajasthan in February, state agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini said on Thursday. The card will have a universal number which will link the holder to the details of a land on computers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch a soil health card scheme for farmers across the country from Rajasthan in February, state agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini said on Thursday.

A soil health card will carry soil test details of a farmer’s land with crop-wise suggestions on fertilizers and nutrients usage to boost productivity.

Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Haryana are already making use of the card for a couple of years now.

But, the launch would make the scheme applicable throughout the country.

The minister said that the Union agricultural department has had a communication with chief minister Vasundhara Raje in this regard.

“We have started preparations and even readied a sample of the soil health card,” Prabhu Lal Saini said.

After the launch of the scheme, it would be mandatory for all the farmers to carry the soil health card.

A total number of 40 lakh cards would be distributed in Rajasthan alone, he said, adding that it would be free for the first three years.

Earlier, such a card would cost Rs. 10 per farmer per year.

The card will have a universal number which will link the holder to the details of a land on computers.

So, the land details accessibility will not change even after the change of the land owner, he said.

Prabhu Lal Saini said that in Rajasthan has a total of 342 lakh hectares of land, but only 216 lakh hectare of land is cultivated.