Coming up, 55 new soil testing labs across 11 blocks in dist

In an effort to provide farmers with easy access to soil testing facilities at the grassroots level and to offer affordable testing without requiring long-distance travel, as many as 55 new village-level soil testing laboratories will be established in the district.

Chairing a meeting with officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, and Cooperative departments, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jitendra Jorwal said Ludhiana comprises 11 agriculture blocks and five labs would be set up in each block.

The Cooperative Department will appoint village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs), who will collect soil samples from their respective areas. “Applicants must have completed at least Grade 10 with a science background and possess basic computer knowledge,” he said.

Following their appointment, the VLEs will receive training from agriculture officials on how to collect and analyse the soil samples. They will be compensated Rs 300 for each sample collected, with each VLE given a target to collect 3,000 samples in a year.

Jorwal emphasised that the initiative would provide farmers with the timely and accurate soil analysis results, enabling better decisions regarding fertiliser application and soil management practices through their soil health cards. “It will facilitate customised soil nutrient recommendations based on the test results, enhance farmers’ awareness of soil health and help them optimise the fertiliser use, thereby minimising input costs and avoiding both under-and-over application,” he opined.

The DC said the initiative would allow for the collection of local soil data, which could be used for conducting studies, formulating policies and developing region-specific agricultural interventions.

He noted that farmers often apply fertilisers indiscriminately without sufficient knowledge about soil needs, leading to excessive expenditures. He cautioned that the overuse of fertilisers not only drains farmers’ finances but also adversely affects the soil health, ultimately impacting productivity.

Jorwal urged the officials to expedite the process of appointing VLEs and conducting training sessions so that the soil testing initiative could be covered comprehensively throughout Ludhiana.