The farmer cannot be happy unless the earth is in good health. According importance to the aspect of soil health, the Government of India has set a target of providing soil health cards to all the farmers of the nation by March 2017, said Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. The Union Minister said this while attending a programme on the occasion of world soil day at an educational institution in Roorkee on Monday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Singh emphasised on the importance of focusing on the health of the soil. The Union Minister said that there are an estimated 14 crore farmers in the nation and the Government of India has set a target of issuing soil health cards to all the farmers of the nation by March 2017. He said that for the purpose of issuance of soil health cards during 2014-15 and 2015-16 the Government of India had provided a total of Rs 88 lakh to the State Government in addition to which a sum of about Rs 1.50 crore was made available to the State of Uttarakhand for the setting up of soil testing laboratories. Speaking in the context of farmers and agriculture in the State of Uttarakhand, the Union Minister informed that ther are a total of 7.50 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand with the Government of India having set a target to ensuring that all of them have soil health cards by March 31, 2017. During his address to the gathering, the Union Minister referred to varied aspects related to the soil, agriculture and farmers. He emphasised on the need for providing further encouragement to the practice of organic agriculture. Soil testing laboratories should also be set up at the Panchayat level, the union minister added.
Agriculture director Gaurishankar, Chief Development Officer Meharban Singh Bisht, Haridwar additional district magistrate (administration) Abhishek Tripathi, Chief Agriculture Officer JP Tiwari and farmers from different areas of Haridwar district among others were also present on the occasion.