Farmers with large landholdings are doing their part to ease the burden on small and marginal farmers whose crops were damaged by the April 4 storm.

Many landowners have announced they will waive half of the lease payments for their land, while others have pledged to provide free green fodder. Kothe Sandhua village, located near the Bathinda-Muktsar road, is home to several such benefactors.

Farmers Gardaur Singh, Sukhmandar Singh, Darshan Singh, and Dhola Ram have waived half the lease payments for their respective 30, 7, and 4-acre lands.

Gardaur Singh said a single 35-minute hailstorm on April 4 changed everything. Until then, farmers were expecting a high yield that would have comfortably supported their households. However, the hail, high-velocity winds and rain dashed those hopes.

"Under such circumstances, it is the duty of those who can afford it to stand by those in distress," Gardaur Singh said. "I have waived half the lease for the wheat season and encouraged others to do the same. Three more farmers from my village have already joined me, and we expect more to follow," he added.

Annual lease payments for two seasons (rabi and kharif) range between Rs 70,000 and Rs 90,000, depending on soil quality and tubewell access.

Farmer Kulwant Singh from Lakhewali village in Muktsar echoed similar sentiment. "When fellow villagers are in distress, we must stand by them. This is what our bani (teachings) tell us," said Kulwant, who waived the lease on his 6-acre plot.

Similarly, Iqbal Singh from Bhalaiana village has waived a portion of the lease on his 14 acres, while Kulwinder Singh from Kothe Kaur Singh village has offered his combine harvester—complete with diesel—to help affected neighbours harvest what remains of their crops.

The wheat crop across the districts of Muktsar, Fazilka, Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Sangrur, and Amritsar has been impacted by the recent wave of severe weather.

Source - https://www.msn.com