Consider the following statements: The nationwide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at
- Expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
- Enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
- Checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement 3 is correct
- Soil Health Card Scheme is under implementation since 2015 to provide Soil Health Card to all farmers. Soil Health Card provides information to farmers on the soil nutrient status of their soil and recommendations on the appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.
- Soil Health Card scheme has been merged in Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) cafeteria scheme as its one component under the name ‘Soil Health & Fertility’ from the year 2022-23. The Soil Health Card portal has been revamped and integrated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) system so that all the test results are captured and seen on a map.
Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect
- Expanding irrigated cultivable area is not a primary objective of the scheme. Also, banks do not directly use Soil Health Cards to determine loan amounts; credit decisions depend on factors such as land ownership, crop type, and credit history.
