Farmers move from PGS-Green to PGS-Organic when they complete the conversion period without major non-compliance. When the portal will not show the upgrade, the cause is almost always in the records: a missing appraisal year, a wrong start date, or an open non-compliance. This episode sets out the rules and the checks.
The short version
- PGS uses two statuses: PGS-Green while converting, PGS-Organic after.
- Conversion is 24 months, or 36 for perennials; the RC can reduce it to 12 with evidence.
- Every year needs an approved appraisal; a missing year blocks the upgrade.
- Status is decided farmer by farmer, not for the whole group at once.
The Rules for Becoming PGS-Organic
Only farmers who completed the full conversion period without a major non-compliance are declared PGS-Organic.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conversion period | 24 months for annual crops, 36 months for perennials |
| Reduction | The RC may reduce it to 12 months where the farm shows it already met the standards |
| Waiver | In default organic areas, only by the PGS Secretariat on the RC's recommendation |
| Who qualifies | Farmers who completed full conversion without major or serious non-compliance |
| Time limit | PGS-Green cannot last beyond 3 years (annual crops) or 4 years (plantations); after that the member is sanctioned and excluded |
Conversion-year labels from NPOP third-party certification do not apply in PGS-India.
Why the Upgrade Is Blocked
A missing or unapproved appraisal year, a start date that is too recent, or an open major non-compliance.
- Missing year: a year of the conversion period has no approved peer appraisal.
- Start date: the farmer's conversion start date is later than it should be, so the period is not yet complete.
- Non-compliance: a major non-compliance is still open against the farmer.
- Group status: the group is inactive or suspended.
Checking and Correcting
Check each farmer's start date against signed records, confirm every year's appraisal, and close open findings.
- List the farmers who did not upgrade.From the group's member list.
- Check the start date.Against the signed registration or baseline form. Correct it only with proof.
- Check each year's appraisal.Uploaded and approved by the RC for every year of the period.
- Check non-compliances.Major findings must be closed before the farmer qualifies.
- Resubmit.With the group's next decision, for the RC to approve.
Illustrative workload. At about two minutes per farmer, checking 3,000 farmers across 150 groups takes about 100 hours.
Portal screens and messages change from time to time. If an option described here is missing, ask your Regional Council, or the PGS-India Secretariat at the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
What is the conversion period for an annual crop under PGS-India?
- 12 months
- 24 months
- 36 months
36 months is for perennials; the RC may reduce to 12 with evidence.
A farmer has been PGS-Green for over 3 years on annual crops without qualifying. What happens?
- Automatic upgrade
- The member is sanctioned and excluded
- Nothing
The guidelines set a time limit on PGS-Green.
Remember these things
- PGS-Green, then PGS-Organic.
- Every year needs an approved appraisal.
- Correct start dates only with proof.
- Close major findings first.
Clean yearly records are what let each farmer move to PGS-Organic on time. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.