Minister Wants 25 Soil Testing Facilities Reactivated
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2024-04-18 17:57 GMT
Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao instructed officials to reactivate the 25 soil testing facilities used by farmers before 2020-21, which had fallen into disuse during the previous BRS government. Stressing on the importance of soil fertility knowledge for farmers, Rao highlighted its role in optimising natural manure and chemical fertiliser usage, thereby reducing costs. At present, there are nine regional soil testing centres across erstwhile districts, alongside one regional and one mobile testing centre, with an additional 14 testing centres in agriculture market yards.
Rao urged officials to strategise and reintroduce the testing facilities to aid farmers by the upcoming kharif season. He also proposed considering mini soil testing kits, intending to make them accessible at rythu vedikas, cooperative societies, and through private partnerships on a trial basis.