Home / Health Insurance / Articles / Government Schemes / Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC) - How to apply, benefits

Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC) - How to apply, benefits

Team AckoApr 30, 2024

According to the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the agricultural and allied industry employs 54.6% of the total labour force. India's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture. Thus, the Indian government has adopted a number of measures to ensure its sustainable growth. One of these measures is the Soil Health Card Scheme that helps farmers to determine the soil quality and gain profitable results from their agricultural produce. You will learn about the Soil Health Card Scheme details in this article. Take a look.

Contents

What is a Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC)?
What is a Soil Health Card?
Benefits and features of Soil Health Card Scheme
How does the Soil Health Card Scheme 2022 work?
- Information available on the Soil Health Card
Eligibility for Soil Health Card Scheme
- Required documents
How to register for Soil Health Card Scheme Online?
Challenges with SHC scheme
How to download Soil Health Card?
Frequently asked questions

What is a Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC)?

The Government of India launched the Soil Health Card Scheme in 2015 to help the country's farmers. This programme is also known as the Mudra Health Card Program. This initiative would assist farmers in the country in producing good crops by assessing the soil quality of their land. Under the Soil Health Card Scheme, farmers will be given a health card containing information on the soil type of their land, as well as information about the soil quality of their land. They can use this information to grow a good harvest.

What is a Soil Health Card?

A soil health card gives information on the soil's nutrient status as well as recommendations on the nutrient dosage to be used to improve its productivity and health. It is a printed document that farmers receive every three years for their land ownership. Farmers can print the card from the SHC portal, which includes a registry of all harvesting seasons and is provided in 21 languages.

Benefits and features of Soil Health Card Scheme

Following are the benefits and features of the Soil Health Card Scheme.

This plan provides a card that allows the farmer to identify the soil type in his farm area.
Farmers can boost the yield of their farm soil, based on strategies under this scheme.
If farmers know the type of soil in their land, it will be easier for them to plant crops based on the quality of the soil, resulting in better farming and more earnings.
The farmers will receive all information on their farm's soil via the Mudra Health Card.
This strategy aimed to increase farmers' revenue while also improving the soil's base and balance through applying fertilisers.
This strategy can also provide increased agricultural production at a cheaper cost.
The soil health card that will be supplied to farmers under this scheme will also include crop planting recommendations based on their lands.
This card also informs farmers about how much soil is present in the soil and for which crop, how much fertiliser should be used, and which fertiliser should be used.
Farmers' output will also grow due to the Soil Health Card Scheme.

How does the Soil Health Card Scheme 2022 work?

Here is how the Soil Health Card Scheme 2022 works.

First, the officials will collect a soil sample from your farm and send it to the laboratory.
There, professionals test the soil and collect all available information.
Following that, they will compile a list of the strengths and weaknesses of the soil.
If there is a deficiency in the soil, they provide suggestions for improving the soil and generate a report.
This report is uploaded online for easy access to the farmer.

Information available on the Soil Health Card

The following information is available on the Soil Health Card.

The farm's productive capacity
Nutrient availability and deficiency
Water quantity present in the soil
List of other nutrients present on the farm

Eligibility for Soil Health Card Scheme

The Eligibility criteria for Soil Health Card Scheme is not defined. All the farmers can register for this scheme.

Required documents

You may need the following documents to register for the Soil Health Card Scheme.

Aadhar card
Address proof
Passbook copy
Registration form

Note: The above list of documents is indicative and the actual set of documents may differ.

How to register for Soil Health Card Scheme Online?

Here are the steps to register for the Soil Health Card Scheme Online.

Step 1: Click the Registration tab on the Soil Health Card Scheme's Official website. This will open the registration form.

Step 2: Fill out the online registration form and get the unique registration number.

Note that forms must be submitted online. Farmers can verify the status of their soil samples on the website later. They are not required to log in. They can check the condition of the soil by selecting their village name, sub-district, district, state, name, and soil registration number. Farmers can also print their Soil Health Card from the internet after registration and certification by the government. There is a tab called 'Print Soil Health Card,' and you may get your card in either English or Hindi by clicking on it.

Challenges with SHC scheme

Following is the list of challenges of the SHC scheme.

There is a low number of soil testing labs and centres compared to the number of farms.
The main focus of the Soil health card is the chemical nutrients required for the soil.
Factors like depth, colour and texture, cropping history slope, microbial activity in the soil, and water retention are not indicated on the Soil Health Card.
Language barriers between scheme officials and farmers.
Less number of Development Communications Specialists that can help farmers understand the advised procedures.
Lack of awareness about the Soil Health Card Scheme among farmers.
No distribution campaigns before important seasons like sowing or harvesting to aid farmers produce better.

How to download Soil Health Card?

Farmers can obtain the soil health card by visiting the government's website. They need to use their phone number, or registration number for their Soil Health Card. The Har Khet Swasth Khet portal can also be used to download the card.

You can also use these portals to register soil samples collected by the department. Following registration, you will receive an SMS on your registered mobile number. Additionally, you can determine which laboratory received the soil sample from your farm for examination.

Contact address

Please visit the Contact Us page of the official Soil Health Card website to get in touch with the concerned person.

Here are the contact details for a quick reference.

Email ID: [email protected]

Contact number:

011-24305591
011-24305948

Frequently asked questions

Here are some common questions and answers about Soil Health Card Scheme.

How to print soil health card of additional crops?

Following is the process to print soil health card of additional crops.

1. Visit the official website of Soil Health Card scheme and click on ‘Print Soil Health Card for Additional Crops’.

2. Select your state, and click ‘Continue’. Enter all the necessary information and click "Search".

3. Next, click ‘Download/ and take a print out of the downloaded file.

How to view fertiliser dosage information for crops?

Following is the process to view fertiliser dosage information for crops.

Visit the official website of Soil Health Card scheme and click on ‘Fertiliser Dosage for Crops’.
Select your state and district and then enter all the necessary information. Click ‘Continue’.
You will now see the view fertiliser dosage information for crops on your screen.

How to check the progress of your portal entry?

Following is the process to check the progress of your portal entry.

Visit the official website of Soil Health Card scheme and click on "Progress of Portal Entry".
Enter the necessary information.
You will now see the progress of your portal entry.

Source:

https://www.soilhealth.dac.gov.in/

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on industry experience and several secondary sources on the internet, and is subject to changes.