New Delhi, July 24 (IANS): The government on Friday said it has issued more than 25.89 crore Soil Health Cards and expanded the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to 18,786 clusters covering 8.80 lakh hectares, as part of its efforts to promote scientific soil management and sustainable agriculture. According to an official statement, around 7.17 lakh demonstrations on balanced fertiliser use have been conducted under the Soil Health Card Scheme through Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMAs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), while public awareness campaigns such as the Khet Bachao Abhiyan are encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices. The government also said 70,002 Krishi Sakhis have been trained to disseminate soil health advisories at the grassroots level, while the School Soil Health Programme enrolled 4,430 schools and 1,29,167 students during 2025–26.
The statement said digital platforms, geospatial mapping and artificial intelligence are strengthening soil assessment and advisory services, improving agricultural productivity, resilience and long-term sustainability. With more than 46 per cent of India’s workforce dependent on agriculture and allied activities, the government said soil health plays a critical role in rural incomes, food security and economic stability. It added that initiatives such as the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) and the Soil Health Card Scheme are promoting climate-resilient and resource-efficient farming through scientific nutrient management. Government programmes, including the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, are also supporting practices that enhance soil organic carbon and long-term carbon storage. Under India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Green India Mission aims to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the country had already created an additional carbon sink of 2.29 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent between 2005 and 2021, reflecting significant progress towards that target.