Page 43 - NIS English February 16-28

Sa a N B g g C ee to Fa e

F o at o a o t PM K a Sa a N a e
o at t e e te tt a go
Fa e a eg te o t e te
T o 11 2 C o e e e a e a e ee eg te e

Hea t So , G ee F e

l International Soil Day was celebrated in 2015, l During 2019-20, a pilot project ‘Development
and the same year the Central Government of Model Villages’ was undertaken where soil
launched the Soil Health Card scheme to samples collection was done at individual
assess the nutrient status of every farm holding farm holding with farmer’s participation
in the country instead of sample collection at grids
l Objective is to issue soil health cards to farmers lThis scheme is also creating jobs for the
in every two years so as to provide a basis to agrarian youth. Under this scheme, village
address nutritional deficiencies in fertilization youth and farmers up to 40 years of age are
practices eligible to set up Soil Health Laboratories
l In Phase-I (2015-17), 10.74 Crore cards were and undertake testing
distributed, while under Phase-II (2017-19)
11.69 Crore cards were given away HOW TO AVAIL BENEFITS
l The Central Government spent more than
Soil Health Card provides two sets of fertilizer
Rs 700 Crore for this scheme recommendations for six crops including
l So far 429 New Static Soil Testing Labs (STLs), recommendations of organic manures.
102 New Mobile STLs, 8752 Mini STLs have Farmers can also get recommendations for
been provided additional crops on demand. SHC portal has
l Farmers can track their soil samples and also farmer’s database of both the cycles and
is available in 21 languages for the benefit
obtain their Soil Health Card report
of farmers. They can track their samples,
l A study conducted by the National Productivity print their cards etc. at Common Service
Council (NPC) says the application of Soil Centres and also at the Farmers Corner of
Health Card recommendations has led to a www.soilhealth.gov.in and fulfil the mantra of
decline of 8-10% in use of chemical fertilizers ‘Swastha Dhara to Khet Hara’ (if the soil is
and also raised productivity by 5-6% healthy, the fields will be green).

while on the other, Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme Ghanshyam Patel and Dhiru Patel from Gujarat,
is becoming a boon especially for small farmers. Moolchand Mehwara from Madhya Pradesh and
In the last two years, more than Rs 1,13,000 M Sudhakar Reddy from Telangana. According
Crore have been deposited in the accounts of to these farmers, the scheme has immensely
10.60 Crore farmers under the Kisan Samman benefitted both the small and big landowners.
Nidhi scheme. The instalment comes on time in every four
The PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme has months. At the same time, there is no need to
been a great support for farmers like Sardar go to moneylenders for Rs 2,000 because their
Singh and Sundar Singh from Haryana, needs are met by Kisan Samman Nidhi.

New India Samachar 41