The Green Revolution (GR), probably the greatest achievement of post-independence India, heralded an era of food sufficiency riding on the use of chemical fertilisers. Now, more than 50 years on, soil health is rapidly declining. There is ample evidence to show that indiscriminate use of fertilizers is the major cause of deteriorating soil health.
Recent Developments Soil Health is Declining in India: Report
Pesticide Residues: A Non-Tariff Barrier to Agriculture Exports
Conditions Imposed on Indian Foods
Implications for India
India bans 18 Pesticides
|
Soil Health Card
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
Performance of Soil Health Card Scheme As of July 2015, only 34 lakh Soil Health Cards (SHC) were issued to farmers as against a target of 84 lakh for the year 2015–16. Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal were among the states which had not issued a single SHC under the scheme by then. The number grew up to 1.12 crore by February 2016. As of February 2016, against the target of 104 lakh soil samples, States reported a collection of 81 lakh soil samples and tested 52 lakh samples. Up to May 2017, 725 lakh Soil Health Cards have been distributed to the farmers. |
Neem Coated Urea (NCU)