The Government of India is running a subsidy scheme under Soil Health Management (SHM) for the establishment of Soil Testing projects at village level by rural entrepreneurs.
Under this innovative scheme, the rural entrepreneurs are being given a subsidy of 75% i.e. subsidy and DBT of INR 3.75 lakh on the total project cost of INR 5 lakh for soil testing lab. Further, Harvesto is helping village level entrepreneurs in starting their soil testing labs under this scheme.
The objective of the Soil Health Management (SHM) subsidy scheme is to:
Generate Employment for the Rural Youth
To speed up the process of soil testing / soil analysis.
To maximise the reach of Soil Health Card to all farmers of India.
Provide soil testing facility at farmers door-step.
To develop a single-window system for the collection of soil samples, analysis of soil, and delivery of Soil Health Card.
Under the scheme, a District Level Executive Committee (DLEC) comprising of Collector / Deputy Collector, Deputy Director / District Agriculture Officer, District Horticulture Officer, Soil Testing Officer, and KVK officers is being constituted.
The DLEC will be responsible for:
Identification and selection of village-level beneficiaries of the scheme.
Identification of the premises for the setup of Soil Testing Labs / Soil Testing Kits.
Ensuring the proof of procurement of equipment as per the provision of the scheme from the authorised manufacturers who are holding the license of manufacturing Soil Testing Mini Lab from Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Ensuring the right training for the analysis of soil samples is imparted to the beneficiary by the equipment manufacturer.
Submitting the proof of lab setup to the central agency for the DBT of subsidy to the beneficiary's account.
Ensure the smooth and proper running of Soil Testing Lab throughout.
Conditions required to be a Beneficiary:
The beneficiary/village level entrepreneur (VLE) should be between the age of 18-27 years of age.
The beneficiary should be at least matric pass with basic knowledge of computers and a basic understanding of English for the smooth functioning of the equipment and lab.
The beneficiary should submit a bond / agreement for the running of the soil testing lab for at least 2 cycles or at least 4 years.
Financial Aspect:
For the establishment of Village Level Soil Testing Lab, the maximum cost is to be INR 5 lakhs. The village-level entrepreneur shall get a financial Assistance of @ 75% on the total project cost i.e. INR 3.75 Lakh for the setup cost of INR 5 Lakh. The subsidy will only be one time, and the remaining 25% cost of the project is to be invested bt the entrepreneur by himself.
How to apply for the Soil Testing Lab subsidy?
Any village-level entrepreneur, farmer, or rural youth can approach their district agriculture office and enquire if the soil testing lab subsidy scheme is running in their state and district. In the case of scheme running in their district, the person should approach one of the officers listed in the District Level Executive Committee (DLEC) to apply for the scheme. Once selected the person can approach the manufacturer of the Soil Testing Equipment and get the required material for the setup of Soil Testing Lab.
Who will supply the equipment for the Soil Testing Lab?
The Government of India has authorised the manufacturers having a license from Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the Soil Testing Kit for the supply of soil testing equipment in the 5 lakh subsidy scheme. Interested people can contact the company Harvesto who hold the license from ICAR and are authorised by the department for the manufacturing of the soil testing lab equipment. Harvesto can be contacted on call or WhatsApp on +91-9999566860, or on mail at info@harvestogroup.com, and their website is www.harvestogroup.com.
What will be the benefit of the village level entrepreneur after opening the soil testing lab?
The village-level entrepreneur shall get back INR 3.75 Lakh on the investment of INR 5 lakh from the Government after successful setup of the soil testing lab giving him / her huge cost and investment benefit. Secondly, the entrepreneur shall also receive soil samples from the Government for testing every year, and the entrepreneur can also test soil samples of nearby farmers and earn money through those services.
Which states are having the Soil Health Management (SHM) 5 lakh subsidy scheme for the setup of Soil Testing Labs?
All states in India namely Haryana, Punjab, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, Kerala, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, etc are running the Soil Health Management (SHM) 5 lakh subsidy scheme for the setup of Soil Testing Labs.