In a major and far-reaching decision aimed at preventing Haryana’s agricultural land from becoming barren and making farmers more prosperous, the State Government has decided to procure Organic Carbon Analysis Kits across the state. The initiative will make it possible to accurately determine the amount of organic carbon present in farmers’ fields.
Sharing this information, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, said that the primary objective of this special initiative is to improve soil health and prevent agricultural land from becoming barren. The Minister was presiding over a meeting of the High-Powered Purchase Committee held today to approve the procurement of Organic Carbon Analysis Kits. Education Minister, Sh. Mahipal Singh Dhanda, was also specially present on the occasion.
Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, along with several other senior officers, attended the meeting. Sharing details of the meeting and the government’s plan, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the State Government has approved the purchase of 332 Organic Carbon Analysis Kits at an estimated cost of approximately Rs. 2.5 crore.
These modern kits will be deployed in all 106 government laboratories operating across Haryana, where detailed testing of soil samples collected from farmers’ fields will be carried out. Farmers will then receive clear reports indicating the actual level of organic carbon present in their soil.
Referring to scientific and agricultural standards, the Minister explained that for any field to produce healthy and abundant crops, the organic carbon content in the soil should be at least between 0.5 and 0.75 per cent. However, for soil to be considered ideal, healthy and highly fertile, the organic carbon level should be 1 per cent or higher.
Expressing concern, he said that if soil testing reveals an organic carbon level below 0.5 per cent, such land is classified as extremely weak and unhealthy, as the soil gradually begins to lose its natural capacity to provide essential nutrients to plants. Highlighting the role of carbon in maintaining soil fertility, the Agriculture Minister said that organic carbon is often described as the soul or backbone of the soil because it serves as the primary food source for earthworms and beneficial microorganisms that live within the soil. When soil contains an adequate amount of organic carbon, its ability to absorb and retain water improves significantly.
As a result, the soil can preserve moisture for longer periods, enabling crops to withstand low-water and drought-like conditions more effectively. He further said that organic carbon helps bind essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potash within the soil and facilitates their easy delivery to plant roots. Consequently, crop roots are able to spread deeper into the ground and develop more effectively, while farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers is reduced to a considerable extent.
Reiterating the government’s core commitment, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the ultimate objective is not only to make agriculture profitable and sustainable, but also to free farmers from the vicious cycle of excessive chemical fertiliser use and guide them towards completely debt-free farming. He said that he sincerely wishes to see a future where every farmer in Haryana practices debt-free farming and every farming family lives free from debt.