A Local Group that stops sending peer appraisal summary sheets is eventually suspended, and the portal then blocks most work for its members. Reviving the group is possible, but it does not restore the old status. This episode explains when suspension happens, what revival involves, and how to prevent it.
The short version
- No summary sheet for two seasons or 12 months: the group is suspended.
- Revival starts from a fresh peer appraisal and restarts at PGS-Green-1.
- Late uploads before that point bring a warning, not suspension.
- Prevention is a calendar built from sowing and harvest dates.
Why a Group Becomes Inactive
A group with no peer appraisal summary sheet for two seasons or 12 months is suspended under the guidelines.
The guidelines link a group's standing to its peer appraisal record. Missing one deadline is treated as a minor matter; a long silence is not.
| Situation | Consequence in the guidelines |
|---|---|
| Late peer appraisal or late summary sheet | Minor: warning and advice |
| Repeated late or incomplete submissions | Major: decisions withheld or returned |
| No summary sheet for two seasons or 12 months | Group suspended |
| No peer appraisal for more than 12 months | Status downgraded to the start of conversion |
While a group is inactive, the portal usually blocks new crop entries, appraisal uploads and certificate generation for its members.
Did you know?A group with fewer than 5 members also loses group status; its farmers are then treated as individual farmers.
What Revival Involves
Revival restarts certification from a fresh peer appraisal, at PGS-Green-1; earlier status is not restored.
- Talk to the Regional Council.Find out the group's exact status and what the RC needs.
- Hold a group meeting.Record the decision to restart, and elect or confirm the certification team.
- Carry out a fresh peer appraisal.Within the crop window, on Format-9, for every member.
- Submit the summary sheet.The RC reviews it, and may inspect before deciding.
- Restart at PGS-Green-1.Certification restarts from the date of the fresh appraisal.
The guidelines state that revival restarts the fresh certification process at PGS-Green-1. Years of earlier status cannot be carried over by reactivating the group.
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.
Preventing Suspension
Keep a calendar by group and crop, and check every group's last upload each month.
- Build a calendar for each group from its sowing and expected harvest dates.
- Each month, list groups whose last summary sheet is more than 6 months old.
- Contact those groups before the next deadline, not after.
- If a group cannot upload, the RC may upload for it by agreement.
Illustrative workload. A monthly check takes about two minutes per group; 100 groups take a little over 3 hours a month.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
A group sent no summary sheet for 14 months and is suspended. At what status does revival restart?
- The old status
- PGS-Green-1
- PGS-Organic
Revival restarts from a fresh appraisal at PGS-Green-1.
What is the first sanction for a late summary sheet?
- Suspension
- A warning and advice
- Deletion of the group
Late submission is a minor non-compliance.
Remember these things
- Silence for 12 months suspends a group.
- Revival restarts at PGS-Green-1.
- Late uploads bring warnings first.
- A calendar prevents it.
Keeping every group's appraisal on time is far easier than reviving one. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.