Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) supports organic farming through clusters, and every cluster's farmers are certified under PGS-India on the pgsindia-ncof.gov.in portal. This episode sets out what a PKVY cluster is, what to prepare, and the order in which a cluster and its farmers go onto the portal.
The short version
- A PKVY cluster covers 20 hectares; each farmer can hold at most 2 hectares under the scheme.
- Support is ₹31,500 per hectare over 3 years, of which ₹15,000 goes to farmers by DBT.
- On the portal, groups come first: a farmer can only be added to a registered group.
- Each group needs at least 5 members from the same or nearby villages.
What a PKVY Cluster Is
A cluster is a 20-hectare block of farmers who adopt organic farming together, with support for inputs, training, certification and marketing.
PKVY is a component of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY). It forms organic clusters in all states other than the North Eastern states, which are covered by a separate mission (MOVCDNER).
20 hectares per cluster
Farmers are grouped into clusters of 20 hectares each.
Up to 2 hectares per farmer
Farmers and institutions can apply, up to a landholding limit of 2 hectares.
Certified under PGS-India
Or under third-party certification (NPOP), where a cluster needs it.
| PKVY component (per hectare, over 3 years) | Amount |
|---|---|
| On-farm and off-farm organic inputs, paid to farmers by DBT | ₹15,000 |
| Training and capacity building | ₹9,000 |
| Marketing, packaging, branding and value addition | ₹4,500 |
| Certification and residue analysis | ₹3,000 |
| Total | ₹31,500 |
Did you know?Since 2015-16, PKVY has covered about 15 lakh hectares through 52,289 clusters, involving 25.30 lakh farmers (PIB, February 2025).
What to Prepare Before Opening the Portal
Have the sanction details, the group structure and every farmer's identity, land and crop details ready first.
| Prepare | What it must contain |
|---|---|
| Cluster sanction | The approved cluster name, villages, area and farmer count, as in the sanctioned Annual Action Plan |
| Local Groups | Groups of at least 5 members (about 7 to 10 advised) from the same or nearby villages, each with a group leader |
| Farmer details | Name exactly as on Aadhaar, Aadhaar number, mobile number, and bank account for DBT |
| Land details | Survey or khasra number, area in hectares, and GPS location of the farm |
| Farm history | A farm history sheet with the last year's input use and practices |
Keep everything in one spreadsheet first. Typing straight into the portal from paper is where most errors enter.
The Order the Portal Expects
Register the group, wait for approval, then add farmers, their land and their crops.
- Register the Local Group.The Regional Council approves the group's registration and provides its user ID and password.
- Add the farmers.Each farmer is added to an approved group, with Aadhaar, mobile and land details.
- Add land and crops.Survey numbers, area, GPS location and the season's crops for each farmer.
- Check the counts.Compare the number of farmers and the total area on the portal with your sanction and spreadsheet.
If a group has no computer, internet or English, the Regional Council may upload its data by agreement. See episode 2 of the Regional Council guide for details.
Common Errors and Fixes
Most rejections are identity mismatches, duplicate Aadhaar numbers, or area figures that do not add up.
| Error | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar rejected | Name or date of birth differs from the Aadhaar record | Enter the name exactly as on the Aadhaar card (episode 6) |
| Aadhaar already registered | The farmer is in another group, active or old | Find the old record and move or release it; never register twice (episode 5) |
| Area not accepted | Crop or plot areas add up to more than the land held | Correct the areas from the land record |
| Survey number already exists | Joint family land entered for more than one member | See episode 8 on joint land |
| Village not in the list | Spelling differs from the portal's list | Search by district and block, then check spellings |
Illustrative workload. At about five minutes to enter and check each farmer, one 20-hectare cluster of 50 farmers takes about 4 hours. An agency with 20 clusters needs over 80 hours.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
How large is a PKVY cluster?
- 5 hectares
- 20 hectares
- 50 hectares
Farmers are grouped into clusters of 20 hectares each.
How much of the ₹31,500 per hectare is paid to farmers by DBT?
- ₹9,000
- ₹15,000
- ₹31,500
₹15,000 per hectare over 3 years goes to farmers for organic inputs.
Remember these things
- A PKVY cluster is 20 hectares; 2 hectares per farmer at most.
- Prepare all data in one spreadsheet first.
- Register the group, then its farmers.
- Check counts and area after submitting.
A cluster registered in the right order, with clean data, moves straight on to peer appraisal. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk.