Saving Soil, Securing Farms

Key Highlights:

• The Soil Health Card Scheme has generated over 25.89 crore cards, guiding farmers on balanced nutrient use.
• The National Mission on Natural Farming has expanded to 18,786 clusters, covering 8.80 lakh hectares and enrolling over 18.19 lakh farmers.
• India aims to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030 under the National Mission for a Green India.
• The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has released ₹2,119.84 crore, benefiting 14.35 lakh farmers across 8.50 lakh hectares.
• The Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, adopted in 2023, incentivizes greenhouse gas mitigation activities for farmers and organizations.
• The Khet Bachao Abhiyan engaged 1.07 crore farmers through 99,489 interaction meetings and 25,178 awareness camps.
• The Nationwide Soil Resource Mapping project has mapped 29 million hectares, targeting 142 million hectares of agricultural land.

Detailed Insights:

• Soil is a strategic national resource, with over 46% of India's workforce in agriculture and nearly 59% of its reported area under cultivation.
• Healthy soil is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 13 (Climate Action).
• Soil acts as a significant natural carbon sink, absorbing CO2 and storing it as soil organic carbon, which improves soil structure and moisture retention.
• The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) provides a framework for climate action through eight national missions, including Green India and Sustainable Agriculture.
• NMSA promotes sustainable farming through improved soil health, efficient water use, and climate-resilient practices.
• NMNF focuses on reducing input costs, encouraging environmentally responsible food production, and developing local input systems through Bio-input Resource Centres.
• The Carbon Credit Trading Scheme allows farmers to earn tradable carbon credit certificates by adopting sustainable practices, creating an additional income stream.
• The Soil Health and Fertility Scheme (2015) provides crop-specific recommendations and engages students through the School Soil Health Programme.
• The Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme provides subsidies on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, with Aadhaar-linked PoS devices ensuring transparency.
• 100% neem coating on domestically produced urea improves nutrient-use efficiency and reduces diversion for non-agricultural purposes.
• Digital technologies like geospatial mapping (SLUSI), AgriStack, and Krishi Decision Support System (KDSS) are integrating soil, land, and farmer data for precision agriculture.
• AI-based soil diagnostics and precision farming support site-specific application of inputs, improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental impacts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Soil Health Card Scheme: A government initiative providing farmers with soil nutrient status and fertilizer recommendations based on soil testing.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): A comprehensive government framework outlining strategies to address climate change through various national missions.
• Carbon Sink: A natural or artificial reservoir that absorbs and stores more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, helping mitigate climate change.
• Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme: A government policy providing subsidies on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers based on their nutrient content to encourage balanced application.