Farmer registry overview#

This guide is for implementers setting up the farmer registry in OpenSPP. You should understand agricultural program requirements but don't need programming knowledge.

Mental model#

The farmer registry extends the standard registrant model with agriculture-specific data:

Layer

What it does

Example

Farm

The farming entity (a group-type registrant)

"Santos Family Farm"

Details

Farm classification, size, and type

Smallholder, 2.5 hectares, mixed farming

Activities

What the farm produces each season

Rice (wet season), vegetables (dry season)

Assets

Equipment and infrastructure

Water pump, tractor, greenhouse

Think of it like a farm profile: the farm is the identity, details describe the land, activities track what's grown or raised, and assets inventory the equipment.

Key concepts#

Farm entities#

Farms are registered as group-type registrants (like households) with additional agriculture fields. They use pre-defined dropdown lists for standardized classification, provided by the Farmer Registry Vocabularies module.

Access control#

The farmer registry has a system-wide setting:

Setting

What it does

Default

Restrict Registry Edits to Admin Only

Limits CRUD access to administrators

True

Navigate to Settings > Farmer Registry Settings to configure this.

When enabled, only administrators can create, edit, or delete farm records. Other users can view but not change them.

Vocabulary-based fields#

Farm fields use the vocabulary system for standardized values aligned with FAO standards (from spp_farmer_registry_vocabularies):

Vocabulary

Purpose

Crop types

FAO crop classification

Livestock types

FAO livestock classification

Aquaculture species

Aquaculture species list

Farm classification

Farm type categories

Land use types

Land use classification
Farm groups list showing registered farm entities

Farm groups list showing registered farm entities.#

Farm registrant form showing profile with tabs for Farm Details, Crop, Livestock, and Aquaculture Activities

Farm registrant form showing profile with tabs for Farm Details, Crop, Livestock, and Aquaculture Activities.#

Common use cases#

Use case 1: Smallholder registration#

Goal: Register smallholder farmers for an agricultural support program.

Setup:

  1. Create farms as group registrants

  2. Fill in farm details (size, classification, location)

  3. Add household members as individual registrants

  4. Record current agricultural activities

Use case 2: Cooperative management#

Goal: Track farms within agricultural cooperatives.

Setup:

  1. Create the cooperative as a parent group

  2. Register individual farms as child groups

  3. Track activities and assets at both farm and cooperative levels

  4. Use hierarchy for aggregated reporting

Are You Stuck?#

Where is the farmer registry?

Farm records are in the standard Registry menu. They are group-type registrants with farm-specific fields. The Farmer Registry module must be installed — ask your administrator if you don't see farm fields.

Vocabulary fields showing no options?

Ask your administrator to install the Farmer Registry Vocabularies module for FAO-aligned crop, livestock, and aquaculture dropdown lists.

Non-admin users can't edit farms?

Check the Restrict Registry Edits to Admin Only setting. When enabled, only admins can modify farm records.

How do I link farms to programs?

Farms are standard registrants and can be enrolled in programs like any other group. Use program eligibility rules to target farms based on their attributes.

Next steps#