Farmers sometimes need to move from one PGS Local Group to another. Done correctly, the move keeps the farmer's status and history. Done wrongly, by deleting and registering again, it can undo years of conversion. This episode sets out the checks and the steps.
The short version
- Move the existing record; never create a second one.
- Check the old group keeps at least 5 members after the move.
- Status follows how the land was managed, so it carries over if the record moves intact.
- The new group appraises the farmer in its next season.
Before You Move a Farmer
Confirm why the farmer is moving and that both groups can work after the move.
A farmer may move because they have shifted home, taken land nearer another group, or because their group has become too small. The guidelines themselves advise farmers to join a nearby group when their group falls below 5 members.
The old group
Check it keeps at least 5 members after the move. Below 5, the remaining farmers lose group status.
The new group
It must already be registered and active, and cover the same or a nearby village.
The farmer's record
Note the current status, PGS-Green or PGS-Organic, and the dates it rests on.
Never create a second farmer record. A new record has no history, and the same Aadhaar number appearing twice will be flagged.
Did you know?The guidelines advise groups of about 7 to 10 farmers, so that one or two members leaving does not take the group below 5.
Moving the Record on the Portal
Move the existing record to the new group; do not delete it and register the farmer again.
- Confirm identity.Find the farmer by name and Aadhaar number, and check that land and crop details are current.
- Inform both groups.Tell both group leaders in writing, and keep a note of the reason and date of the move.
- Move the record.Assign the existing record to the new group. If no transfer option is visible, ask the PGS-India Secretariat before deleting anything.
- Check the result.The farmer should appear in the new group's list with land, crops and status intact, and no longer in the old list.
Illustrative workload. At about five minutes to check each farmer's land and crop details, moving 100 farmers takes a little over 8 hours of careful portal work.
Keeping Certification Status Continuous
Status comes from how the land was managed, so it moves with an intact record; the new group must appraise the farmer next season.
A farmer's PGS-Green or PGS-Organic status comes from the management of their land, not from the group they belong to. If the record moves intact, the status moves with it.
- The new group must include the farmer in its next peer appraisal. Every farmer is appraised at least once a year.
- For a farmer in a Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) cluster, inform the scheme's implementing agency, since scheme benefits are tracked by cluster.
- Keep the letters and notes about the move. The RC may be asked later why a farmer's group changed.
If a farmer is deleted and registered again, the new record has no conversion history, and the farmer may have to start conversion again.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
What is the safest way to move a farmer to another group?
- Delete and register again in the new group
- Move the existing record to the new group
- Keep the farmer in both groups
A new record has no history and may restart conversion.
A group has exactly 5 members and one wants to leave. What happens?
- Nothing changes
- The group falls below 5 and loses group status
- The farmer cannot leave
Below 5 members, the remaining farmers are treated as individual farmers.
Remember these things
- Check both groups before the move.
- Move the record; never register the farmer again.
- Confirm status and history afterwards.
- Include the farmer in the new group's next appraisal.
A correctly moved record keeps the farmer's status and years of history. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.