Jorhat, Dec. 12: Krishi Vigyan Kendras in 23 districts of Assam recently distributed 5,267 soil health cards to farmers in accordance with the 68th UN General Assembly declaration of observing 2015 as International Year of Soils.

R.K. Saud, deputy director, extension education, Assam Agricultural University, under which the kendras operate, said on an average 250 soil health cards were issued in each of the districts, except in Morigaon where 50 cards were given to farmers.

"The soil cards were given after testing the type of soil and nutrient quality. Through the soil cards instructions were given as to which part of the farm or field needed which micro-nutrient because of deficiencies. In some places, it could be deficiency of nitrogen, potash or urea and there was need to rectify these deficiencies in order to maximise farm productivity," Saud said.

He said 6,283 farmers attended the programmes at 23 kendras in Baksa, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Udalguri. "This is an ongoing project which began this year under the ministry of agriculture and will continue till all farmers are covered," he said.

World Soil Day started in 2002 on December 5 by the International Union of Soil Sciences to celebrate the importance of soil and its vital contributions to human health.