Austerity as an export aid: using less chemical fertilizer could ease access to the EU market

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Chemical fertilizers in India are heavily subsidized and import-dependent. Their use, over the years, has led to significant deterioration in soil health. To promote soil testing, provide farmers with crop-specific nutrient recommendations, improve soil fertility and optimize fertilizer use, the government launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme in 2015.

During its first cycle (2015–17), around 25.4 million soil samples were tested, followed by 27.4 million soil samples in the 2017–19 cycle. In 2025-26, around 9.3 million samples were analysed. The results are alarming.

Nearly 82% of them recorded soil organic carbon (SOC) levels below the desirable range of 1-1.5%. Nitrogen deficiency is particularly severe. Only 3% of soil samples showed sufficient nitrogen levels (greater than 560kg per hectare), indicating persistent nutrient depletion despite high fertilizer consumption.

Low soil organic matter and poor nutrient use efficiency aggravate the problem, with crops absorbing only 35–40% of the applied nitrogen. The remaining nitrogen is either released into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide—a greenhouse gas that’s 273 times more potent than carbon dioxide—or leaches into water systems, leading to water pollution.An ongoing survey by Icrier found that deteriorating soil health is a high risk for our exports to the EU, which is striving to reduce GHG emissions and promote sustainable agriculture. Through its Green Deal and allied directives, the EU has targets and standards designed to lower the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, while improving soil health.In India too, policymakers and farm experts have emphasized that soil health holds the key to sustainable