₹596.51 crore to analyze 50 million soil specimens in the coming three years. The revamped programme is set for a launch by the month-end.
Intense cultivation and excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been affecting India’s soil fertility. The revamped soil health card is an add-on to ongoing efforts to promote organic farming.
Through the scheme, farmers will be notified about which fertilizers to pick for cultivating a particular crop, two officials aware of the plans said. “As part of the revamped scheme, the government is also focusing on creating a network of around 7,500 soil health entrepreneurs at the gram panchayat and block level," one of the officials said. “Once the network is created, entrepreneurs will be given a small, automated soil testing machine, and farmers can get a service from them at a cost decided by the government.
The cost will be minimal as farmers have to get their soil tested before every crop cycle," the officer added. Given the economic and political sensitivities surrounding the farm sector, the revamped scheme will address the issues concerning small and marginal farmers.