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Nalbari farmers yet to get soil health cards from Agri dept

By CORRESPONDENT

NALBARI, Aug 23 - After coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health Card scheme to empower farmers of the country. Although three years have passed since the launching of the scheme, farmers of Nalbari district are yet to get benefits of the ambitious scheme.

Sources said the farmers of the district haven�t yet been issued a single soil health card by the Agriculture Department.

A soil health card is used to assess the current status of soil health and, when used over time, to determine changes in soil health that are affected by land mismanagement. A soil health card displays soil health indicators and associated descriptive terms. The indicators are typically based on a farmer�s practical experience and knowledge of local natural resources. The card lists soil health indicators that can be assessed without the aid of technical or laboratory equipment.

It is a Central scheme promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers� Welfare. It is being implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the States and Union Territory Governments. Soil Health Card scheme is a very beneficial scheme for farmers.

However, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Nalbari under Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat has so far distributed a total of 2,508 soil health cards among the farmers.

According to official sources, the government has given the responsibility of collection of soil samples to private parties.

Although several soil samples were sent by the private parties to the laboratory of the Agriculture Department located in Guwahati for testing, no initiatives have so far been taken by the laboratory in this regard. As a result, the farmers of Nalbari district are yet to get the benefits of the Central scheme.

Sources in the Agriculture Department here said 3,000 soil health cards would be distributed among the farmers of the district within this month.

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