Soil Health Card Scheme (SHCS) completes 9 Years | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Soil Health Card Scheme (SHCS) completes 9 Years

Posted 20 Feb 2024

2 min read

  • Launched in 2014-2015to assist State Governments to issue Soil Health Cards (SHC’s).
    • Promotes Integrated Nutrient Management (INM).
      • In INM, judicious use of chemical fertilizers including secondary and micro nutrients in conjunction with organic manures & bio-fertilizers is done for improving soil health and its productivity. 
    • Flagship program of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. 
    • Merged with Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) Cafeteria Scheme as Soil Health & Fertility component in 2022-23. 

 

  • About SHC 
    • Provides soil nutrient status of his/her holding to each farmer and advises him /her on the dosage of fertilizers.
    • It also suggests the soil amendments needed that should be applied to maintain soil health in the long run.
    • SHC contains the status of soil with respect to 12 parameters- Micro-nutrients, Macro-nutrients, Secondary-nutrients and Physical parameters. 
    • A farm will get the soil card once in every 3 years.
    • It helps in reducing the cost of production. 

 

  • Implementation Strategy 
    • Implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments.
    • Integrated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) system
    • Village Level Soil Testing Labs (VLSTLs) have been set up. 

 

About RKVY 

  • Objective: To ensure more inclusive and integrated development of agriculture and allied sectors.
  • Scheme Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
  • RKVY has been re-structured as RKVY Cafeteria Scheme from 2022-23. 
  • It merges some schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare which includes Rainfed Area Development, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana etc.
  • Tags :
  • Soil Health Card
  • RKVY
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