Executive Summary:
This document presents the Indian government's response to questions regarding the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, including its impact, challenges, and plans for enhancement. Data on SHC distribution is provided, along with assessments of the scheme's influence on soil fertility, fertilizer use, and crop yield. The response also details initiatives to improve the scheme's effectiveness and farmer participation. Data current to 24.07.2025 is included.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Soil Health Card (SHC) Distribution:**
* State-wise and year-wise details of SHCs issued are in the Annexure.
* District-wise SHC data from 2023-24 to 2025-26 is available on the SHC portal.
* 25.17 crore SHCs distributed across the country until 24.07.2025.
* 28.21 lakh SHCs distributed in Punjab until 24.07.2025.
* SHCs are issued once every three years.
* **Impact Assessment:**
* National Productivity Council (NPC) study (2017) indicated an 8-10% decrease in chemical fertilizer use and a 5-6% increase in crop yield due to SHC recommendations.
* National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) study (2017) reported that 62.8% of farmers use fertilizers as per SHC recommendations.
* Cost per acre reduced by 4-10% due to lower fertilizer use.
* Paddy farmers reduced urea and DAP/SSP use but increased potassium use.
* **Scheme Enhancement and Implementation:**
* SHC portal includes features for sample registration, test result entry, fertilizer recommendations, and SHC generation.
* Awareness programs, farmer training (93,781), demonstrations (6.80 lakh), and melas (7425) conducted to promote SHC recommendations.
* Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras involved in disseminating knowledge.
* School Soil Health Programme implemented in 1020 schools, enrolling 1.32 lakh students to promote soil awareness and judicious fertilizer use.
* The program has been upscaled in 5000 PM Shree Schools.
Impact Analysis:
* Farmers:
* *Impact:* Benefit from reduced fertilizer costs, increased crop yields, and improved soil fertility through informed fertilizer application.
* *Action Required:* Utilize SHCs for fertilizer application, participate in awareness programs, and adopt recommended practices.
* State Agriculture Departments:
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing and monitoring the SHC scheme at the state level.
* *Action Required:* Conduct awareness programs, distribute SHCs, and ensure regular updates of soil health assessments.
* Agricultural Extension Workers (ATMA, Krishi Vigyan Kendras):
* *Impact:* Play a role in disseminating knowledge about SHC recommendations to farmers.
* *Action Required:* Conduct training sessions and demonstrations to educate farmers on the benefits of using SHCs.
* Students (Participating in School Soil Health Programme):
* *Impact:* Increased awareness of soil health importance and role in promoting sustainable agriculture.
* *Action Required:* Undertake soil sampling, testing, and SHC generation, and educate farmers on judicious fertilizer use.
Key Entities Referenced
Soil Health Card Scheme: A scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to provide farmers with soil health cards.
Punjab: A state in India where Soil Health Cards have been distributed.
National Productivity Council NPC, New Delhi: An organization that conducted a study on 'Soil Testing Infrastructure for Faster Delivery of SHC in India'.
National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management MANAGE, Hyderabad: An organization that conducted an impact study of Soil Health Fertility Scheme.
Agricultural Technology Management Agency ATMA: An agri-extension agency involved in knowledge dissemination to farmers about Soil Health Card recommendations.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras: An agri-extension agency involved in knowledge dissemination to farmers about Soil Health Card recommendations.
PMRKVY: Soil Health Fertility of PMRKVY
New Delhi: Location of National Productivity Council NPC
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1520
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 29TH JULY, 2025
BENEFICIARIES OF SOIL HEALTH CARD SCHEME
1520. SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी be
pleased to state:
(a) the farmers who have benefitted from the Soil Health Card Scheme since its launch, year
wise, State-wise and district-wise data;
(b) the extent impact of the scheme had on soil fertility, fertilizer usage and overall crop yield;
(c) whether any assessment has been conducted to measure its success or challenges;
(d) the number of Soil Health Cards that have been distributed in Punjab and across the
country, how frequently are they updated for farmers;
(e) the percentage of farmers actively using the recommendations provided in the Soil Health
Cards;
(f) the challenges that have been identified in the implementation of the scheme and the
corrective measures being taken; and
(g) whether there are any plans to enhance or modify the scheme to improve its effectiveness
and farmer participation, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य मं(cid:287)ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a): State wise, year wise details of Soil Health Cards (SHCs) issued to farmers since inception
of Soil Health and Fertility Scheme is at Annexure. District wise details of generation of Soil
Health Card from the year 2023-24 to 2025-26 is available at SHC portal
https://www.soilhealth.dac.gov.in/scheme-progress under state wise drill down option.(b) & (c): National Productivity Council (NPC), New Delhi carried out a study 'Soil Testing
Infrastructure for Faster Delivery of SHC in India' in 2017 in 76 districts of 19 States covering
170 soil testing labs and 1700 farmers. As a result of application of fertilizer and micro-nutrients
as per SHC recommendations, there has been a decrease of use of chemical fertilizer
application in the range of 8-10% was found. Overall 5-6% increase in the yield of crops was
reported, due to application of fertilizer and micro nutrients as per SHC. An impact study of Soil
Health & Fertility Scheme (November 2017) was conducted by National Institute of Agricultural
Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad. As per report, about 62.8% of the farmers
use fertilizers according to the recommendations on the SHC. The cost per acre by reduced
by 4 to 10 % due to low fertilizer use. Crop yields increased for majority of the crops, although
moderately. Overall, paddy farmers reduced use of urea by 9%, Diammonium Phosphate
(DAP)/Single Super Phosphate by 7%, but increased use of Potassium by 20%.
(d) & (e): 25.17 crore SHCs have been distributed across the country since inception of the
Scheme till date (i.e. 24.07.2025). 28.21 lakh SHCs have been distributed in Punjab till date
(i.e. 24.07.2025). Diagnostic soil health assessment of farmer fields are taken taken up
periodically, to issue SHCs once in a three years.
(f) & (g): In order to increase efficiency, provision has been made in SHC portal for samples
registration, test result entry, automatic fertilizer dosages recommendations and generation of
soil health cards. Under the scheme, regular awareness programmes are conducted by States
under the scheme to educate farmers to use SHC recommendations. 93,781 farmer’s
trainings, 6.80 lakh demonstrations, 7425 farmer’s melas/ campaigns on soil health card
recommendations have been organized across the country. Agri-extension worker like
Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Krishi Vigyan Kendras are also involved
in knowledge dissemination to farmers about SHC recommendations. Further, under this
scheme the component of School soil health programme is also implemented in 1020 schools
to inculcate importance of soil in young mind of students to ensure behavioral change. Under
the programme, 1.32 lakh students are enrolled to undertake soil sampling, testing, generation
of SHCs and educating farmers about judicious use of fertilizers as per SHC recommendations.
Government has upscaled the programme in 5000 PM Shree Schools.Annexure
State-wise Soil Health Cards issued to the Farmers under Soil Health & Fertility of PM-RKVY
No. of SHCs issued to Farmers
Sl.
States/UTs Cycle-I Cycle-II Total
No. 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
(2015-17) (2017-19)
Andaman &
1 10000 9540 1007 3000 2850 604 9999 108 37108
Nicobar
2 Andhra Pradesh 7455204 6927733 226487 0 0 259929 449753 63175 15382281
Arunachal
3 20532 44256 5432 53 0 2275 100020 734 173302
Pradesh
4 Assam 1300901 1296197 67860 0 0 295182 1011791 31127 4003058
5 Bihar 6469650 6277942 123866 333359 1510587 250053 500000 26452 15491909
6 Chhattisgarh 3890709 5514508 65341 5317 0 160922 174876 56741 9868414
Dadra & Nagar
7 Haveli and 2222 12994 581 0 0 0 0 0 15797
Daman & Diu
8 Goa 25000 19550 2909 6556 9033 8783 8987 853 81671
9 Gujarat 5108923 8671152 63591 0 88422 178286 619520 97 14729991
10 Haryana 4227238 4143900 25605 18972 600000 297772 571953 0 9885440
Himachal
11 385011 960765 19671 25152 24134 12370 74084 20340 1521527
Pradesh
For
Jammu &
12 692062 1014182 56742 77519 2021-22, 186890 57905 80257 15704 2181261
Kashmir
no fund
13 Jharkhand 637507 263815 24037 0 0 113195 234988 21305 1294847
for Soil
14 Karnataka 7832189 9073145 73221 105546 Samples 177359 221427 268000 84 17750971
were
15 Kerala 763435 2319002 126540 118022 0 0 103363 0 3430362
allocated
16 Ladakh 0 0 1718 0 to 0 931 138 0 2787
17 Madhya Pradesh 8872377 8907385 127585 168454 States. 168208 467661 1106994 197865 20016529
18 Maharashtra 12977232 13067735 201837 0 206153 240246 487707 14950 27195860
19 Manipur 114522 114522 10010 4147 7800 0 339 0 251340
20 Meghalaya 209561 216659 3243 14195 0 13000 24999 279 481936
21 Mizoram 11986 16458 2119 0 2857 5170 29727 0 68317
22 Nagaland 184797 12000 27304 0 14800 14752 110977 1 364631
23 Odisha 2374233 2047308 440927 142078 325484 14163 498763 14453 5857409
24 Puducherry 19594 12089 2508 3006 0 3002 3000 43 43242
25 Punjab 1251726 1160568 19196 19196 168745 87944 96592 17324 2821291
26 Rajasthan 6886000 12079000 104774 0 154429 268579 340990 130946 19964718
27 Sikkim 46000 66000 2936 0 3000 15035 60000 1672 194643
28 Tamil Nadu 7000000 7016654 58317 357000 134050 250400 400000 82607 15299028
29 Telangana 5720737 4842509 110664 165527 0 0 139575 5245 10984257
30 Tripura 117723 158337 15002 6816 20000 15212 36661 370 370121
31 Uttar Pradesh 17014573 20354551 255517 28109 392257 485022 826001 384278 39740308
32 Uttarakhand 750494 882797 13645 81876 25305 52368 100913 9701 1917099
33 West Bengal 5040510 4423049 91360 0 0 326095 370031 28347 10279392
Total 107412648 121926302 2371552 1683900 4222363 4118283 8840998 1124801 251700847
*****