India has issued 22.7 crore Soil Health Cards to farmers since the scheme's launch in 2015, at a government cost of over ₹1,800 crore. Each card carries a laboratory analysis of the farmer's soil and a recommendation for the correct balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers to maximise yield and maintain soil health. But an impact evaluation by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, completed in December 2025, finds that only 11% of surveyed card recipients made any change to their fertiliser application practices.
Soil Health Card Scheme — Utilisation Gaps
- 22.7 crore cards issued (2015–2026)
- 11% of recipients changed fertiliser application (ICAR, 2025)
- 67% of surveyed farmers said they couldn't understand the card recommendations
- Urea consumption nationally: 35.9 million MT (FY26) — still well above agronomic optimum
- Average NUE (Nitrogen Use Efficiency) in India: 38% (global best: 65%)
- ICAR recommends soil testing every 3 years; most cards are from 2015–17
“The card says use 60 kg urea per hectare. My neighbour uses 120 kg and his crop looks better, at least at flowering. These cards do not solve the problem of farmer risk aversion to change.”
— Dr. Arvind Kumar Shukla, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IISS
22.7Cr
Cards issued
11%
Farmers who changed practice
₹1,800Cr
Scheme cost to date
38%
India's nitrogen use efficiency
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Deepak Rao
Ground Correspondent
Deepak is a field journalist covering agriculture, rural economy and civic rights. Based in Bhopal.