What is the Soil Health Card (SHC) Policy?

The Soil Health Card Policy helps improve soil health by issuing cards that provide farmers with nutrient and fertiliser recommendations for their soil.

When was the Soil Health Card Policy introduced?

The Soil Health Card Policy was launched by the government of India in 2015.

Why is the Soil Health Card Policy needed?

The policy addresses soil degradation and nutrient imbalances caused by over-cultivation and improper fertiliser use.

How does the Soil Health Card Policy benefit farmers economically?

It helps farmers reduce input costs and increase crop yields by providing tailored fertiliser recommendations. It also creates jobs in soil testing.

How can farmers apply for the Soil Health Card?

Farmers can apply online, at regional agricultural offices, or through mobile apps. They need to provide farmland details, and soil samples will be tested to issue the card.

What is the Soil Health Card (SHC) Policy?

The Soil Health Card Policy helps improve soil health by issuing cards that provide farmers with nutrient and fertiliser recommendations for their soil.

When was the Soil Health Card Policy introduced?

The Soil Health Card Policy was launched by the government of India in 2015.

Why is the Soil Health Card Policy needed?

The policy addresses soil degradation and nutrient imbalances caused by over-cultivation and improper fertiliser use.

How does the Soil Health Card Policy benefit farmers economically?

It helps farmers reduce input costs and increase crop yields by providing tailored fertiliser recommendations. It also creates jobs in soil testing.

How can farmers apply for the Soil Health Card?

Farmers can apply online, at regional agricultural offices, or through mobile apps. They need to provide farmland details, and soil samples will be tested to issue the card.

What is the Soil Health Card (SHC) Policy?

The Soil Health Card Policy helps improve soil health by issuing cards that provide farmers with nutrient and fertiliser recommendations for their soil.

When was the Soil Health Card Policy introduced?

The Soil Health Card Policy was launched by the government of India in 2015.

Why is the Soil Health Card Policy needed?

The policy addresses soil degradation and nutrient imbalances caused by over-cultivation and improper fertiliser use.

How does the Soil Health Card Policy benefit farmers economically?

It helps farmers reduce input costs and increase crop yields by providing tailored fertiliser recommendations. It also creates jobs in soil testing.

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Soil Health Cards & Policy: RKVY, Fertility, Agriculture & Farmer Scheme

Samridhi

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Updated: 28-01-2025 at 6:31 AM

Soil Health Cards & Policy: RKVY, Fertility, Agriculture & Farmer Scheme

In 2015, the government of India launched the Soil Health Card (SHC). This programme is an important step towards encouraging sustainable farming. Through this card, the government wants to provide farmers with valuable information about the nutritional status of their soils. It includes the issuance of Soil Health Cards, carrying crop-wise recommendations of nutrient/fertiliser required for correction of the nutrient imbalances in the soil.

Overview

Name of the scheme	Soil Health Card Policy
Launched by	Government of India
Launched in	2015
Objective	To provide farmers with detailed information about the soil of their lands
Target group	For all small and marginal farmers of India
Soil testing	In every 2 years

What Is The Soil Health Card Policy?

The Soil Health Card (SHC) Policy is a government policy started with the objective of improving the soil health of farms in India. To make Indian agriculture successful and profitable, the policy provides farmers with soil testing guidelines to improve their decision-making. This soil health card scheme is one step in the direction of sustainable farming and food security. This farmer scheme focuses on transferring knowledge and tools to help farmers manage their soil.

What Was The Need For The Soil Health Card Policy?

Soils in India have been exposed to intense cultivation and over-exploitation, and their fertility has declined drastically. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, about 120 million hectares of land in India is affected by soil degradation and nutrient depletion is one of the main disasters.

Farmers, most of the time, use a blanket approach concerning the application of fertilisers. Due to this, the supply of most of the requisite nutrients is not balanced leading to deficiencies of certain nutrients or toxicities.

Furthermore, the continued climate changes have caused erratic patterns in rainfall leading to prolonged droughts and untimely rains, including other catastrophic implications of extreme weather conditions. As such, all the key stakeholders must start the Soil Health Card scheme to mitigate these multi-task challenges.

Read more: Ayushman Card

Key Features

Several features of the Soil Health Card policy outline its goals. Some of the major features of the govt. scheme are:

Soil health cards: Farmers receive their Soil health cards that comprise information about the land they own like the nutrient content of the soil of their land.
Soil testing: Government officials periodically test the soil’s content every 2 years to keep track of the soil’s health.
Recommendations for fertiliser: Under the govt. policy, tailored recommendations on fertiliser are given based on soil testing so that they can improve the soil’s health.
Free testing: The policy provides free or subsidised soil testing of farmers so that they can work on their soil’s health.
Boost in productivity: The scheme aims to boost the productivity of farmers’ lands by improving the health of the soil from their land.

Key Details On The Soil Health Card

A Soil Health Card is issued by the government of India as an official document that comprises information about the soil of a land like the soil’s nutrient status, health, etc. The card was launched to promote agriculture productivity and an overall boost to the agriculture sector.

The Soil Health Card comprises certain important information or components listed below in brief:

Details of the farmer: The card consists of the name of the farmer, the address of the farm, and the identity number of the farmer.
Health status of the soil: Details about the soil’s nutrient profile, pH value, and other such technical details.
Fertiliser recommendation: The ideal type of fertiliser for the soil is also mentioned in the card.
Crop recommendation: The ideal type of crop that would be perfect for the soil is also mentioned in the card.
Validity: The card mentions the validity period of the soil health test as well which is done every 2 years.

Also read: Kera Suraksha Insurance Scheme

Benefits

The Soil Health Card Policy has various benefits for farmers and the agriculture sector.

Environmental Benefits

This soil health card policy offers another significant advantage. The policy ensures that, through precise information about soil health, farmers are better equipped to understand what their particular soil requires and the correct dosages of fertilisers they should be using. This helps reduce the excessive use of chemical fertilisers, which causes soil degradation and environmental.

Especially in the less agricultural regions irrigated by rainfall, water scarcity can be a bottleneck. Effective nutrient management practices also promote ecological balance and biodiversity in agroecosystems.

Economic Benefits

It has significant economic impacts under the Soil Health Card Policy, as it helps farmers reduce their input costs and increase their crop yields.

The farmers will use the right kind of fertiliser and soil amendments in the right quantity as per the recommendations given in the soil health cards, which would result in prudent use of resources and thereby reduce input costs. In addition, the policy will generate employment opportunities in soil testing laboratories and related sectors, which will also contribute to the growth of the rural economy.

Social Benefits

As part of this process, farmers will participate in soil health assessments and discussions with other farmers about their own experiences.

Read more: eShram Card

Eligibility Criteria

Interested farmers first need to ensure whether they fit into the eligibility criteria for Soil Health Card. The eligibility criteria are as follows:

Farmers must be small and marginal.
The land should be used for agricultural work.

Read more: Aadhaar Card

Documents Needed

Applicants need to submit certain supporting documents to successfully apply for the scheme. The list of documents is as follows:

Identity proof, such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID
Proof of address
Land ownership proof
Bank account details

Documents Needed

Applicants need to submit certain supporting documents to successfully apply for the scheme. The list of documents is as follows:

Identity proof, such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID
Proof of address
Land ownership proof
Bank account details

Application Process

For the Soil Health Card online application process, follow these steps and register yourself under this central government scheme for farmers.

Step 1: Registration

Farmers must apply for the SHC scheme at the portal or regional agricultural office. One can also register through mobile apps or community-based organisations. You need to provide details about your farmland.

Step 2: Collect a Soil Sample

Upon registration, an agriculture extension officer visits the field for soil sample collection.

Step 3: Soil Testing

After soil samples are collected, they are sent to soil testing laboratories. These laboratories test soil samples to ensure reproducibility and accuracy.

Step 4: Generate a Soil Health Card
You will then receive your soil health card with information on the strengths and weaknesses of the soil.

Step 5: Distribution, Delivery, and Advisory Services

The soil health cards are distributed locally, online, and through community centres. SMS and mobile apps are also available for soil health cards. In addition to providing information to farmers, the SHCs also provide advisory-based training for adhering to recommended practices.

How To Download Soil Health Cards?

Applicants can download their Soil Health Cards by following certain steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Visit the official SHC website and log in through the portal.
Step 2: Navigate the ‘Download Soil Health Card’ option from the citizen services.
Step 3: Enter your application number or Aadhar number.
Step 4: Submit and download your respective cards.

Other Government Schemes For Ensuring Soil Health

There are various other government schemes like the soil health card (SHC) policy. Some of the other major schemes are:

National Soil Health Mission (NSHM): The mission aims to promote sustainable soil management practices to boost the productivity of the land.
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: The govt. program aims to improve soil health by using sustainable farming practices.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana: The govt. scheme aims to promote mindful water usage to enhance the moisture content of the soil.

Conclusion

In India, the soil health card (SHC) policy serves as one of the first important steps in sustainable agriculture. It boosts community engagement and generates economic power for rural areas, while also enhancing food security that lasts.

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