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.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, such a card would cost Rs. 10 per farmer per year.
{{/usCountry}}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.