The Minister for Agriculture Production, Ghulam Nabi Lone today inaugurated newly established Soil Testing Laboratory in Samba and distributed Soil Health Cards(SHC) among farmers.Vice Chairman Kisan Advisory Board,Daljit Singh Chib ,MLA Samba Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal,DDC Samba Sheetal Nanda, besides Director Agriculture Sudesh Koul, Director CAD Manisha Sharma ,Director Sericulture Malik Farooq,Jt. Director Ashok Malhotra ,CAO Samba G.D Gupta and other officials from Agriculture Department were also present.The Soil Testing Laboratory has been completed at a cost of Rs 50.40 Lakh under SCC-NMSA-Soil Health Mission Scheme and has all modern facilities.The lab is equipped with AAs, UV-Visible Spectrophotometer and instruments with a capacity of 4500 samples annually. With the establishment of Lab, the productivity of selected crops in the area is expected to increase significantly.
Later, the Minister held an interactive session with the farmers of the District. The Minister informed them that the scheme envisages - Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) i.e. balanced and judicious use of chemical fertilizers, bio-fertilizers and locally available organic manures based on soil testing to maintain soil health and crop productivity.The SHC will educate the farmer about kind and quality of chemical fertilizer to be applied in his land, thereby, resulting in saving of his money. He further added that functioning of these Soil Laboratories shall be enhanced through involvement of Agriculture students and effective linkages with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) / State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).The Minister stressed upon creating mass awareness about State and centrally sponsored schemes and asked the farmers to avail the benefits of Fasal bima Yojana,Krishi Sanchai Yojana, Kissan Credit Card, Subsidy on agricultural equipments and other schemes of the govt.
He directed officers to focus on field work and hold regular feedback sessions with farmers. He informed that the Department is working in coordination with Rural Development Department to identify works that can be done in convergence at the Village level. He called upon collective efforts to improve the financial condition of the farmers.The VC Kissan Advisory Board suggested farmers to desist from unhealthy practice of burning crop residue as it’s harmful for the soil fertility and environment.MLA Samba called for better coordination among PDD and Irrigation Departments for augmentation of field irrigation services. He also called for the assessment report on damage caused to agriculture due to Industrial pollution and remedial measures that are needed to be taken.MLA Samba also announced Rs 5 lacs out of his CDF for the installation of Solar Water Lifting pump.On the occasion audio-visual presentations highlighting the features of the scheme were also shown to the farmers.