Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, 19 January: Under the leadership of Dr. Gurmel Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, SAS Nagar, students from 12 Government High Schools in the district of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar have been given training related to soil testing.
The Chief Agriculture Officer, SAS Nagar, informed that the government is running a pilot project to conduct soil testing through the laboratories of high and senior secondary schools. The Agriculture Department is working as the nodal agency for this project, under which training sessions on soil testing are being provided in the schools selected by the government.
He explained that teams of officers working in the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department are being formed and sent to the schools. Through them, information is being provided about the importance of soil fertility, the method of taking samples, testing, and preparing the Soil Health Card after testing.
Under this program, IDs of the head teachers and science teachers (lab in-charges) have been prepared under the Soil Health Map, so that in the future, soil testing and reporting can be ensured through the school laboratories.
He further informed that the government will provide soil testing kits to the schools, and the Agriculture Department will also organize training sessions regarding the procedure of soil testing using these kits.
These training sessions were conducted by Dr. Shubhkaran Singh (Agriculture Officer), Agriculture Development Officers, Dr. Gurdial Kumar, Dr. Parminder Singh, Dr. Mandeep Kaur, Dr. Jaspreet Singh, and Dr. Gurjit Singh.
The Agriculture Department expressed thanks to the head teachers and teachers, especially the science teachers, of the concerned schools for their cooperation in organizing these training sessions.