Sangrur, Oct. 20 -- Paddy farmers in Sangrur and Barnala districts, considered the agriculture heartlands of Malwa belt, are staring at heavy losses this season after incessant rainfall not only flattened fields but also invited multiple infections such as false smut, dwarf virus and discolouration of grain. The paddy they had sown with hard work for a bumper yield now stands stunted or destroyed, turning farmers' hope into despair. False smut is a fungal disease that replaces the rice grain with yellow spore balls on the panicle (flowering head), rendering it unfit for consumption or sale. The dwarf virus, after hampering the plant's growth, dries it out completely, leaving no grain behind. Discolouration too reduces quality and market value. In contrast, a healthy paddy crop stands tall, with sturdy stems, bright grains and panicles bursting with yield. Jarnail Singh, a farmer from Sheron village, Sangrur, said, "I own eight acres, and at least 22 quintals of crop per acre have been damaged due to the dwarf virus attack. Because of the heavy rainfall in August and September, fungicide and insecticide spraying couldn't be carried out consistently. I have lost crop worth nearly Rs.2 lakh." Under normal conditions, he would earn around Rs.80,000 per acre from healthy yield. "But there's no government support for disease losses," he added. For farmers who have taken land on lease, the stress is heavier. Kulwinder Singh of Nadampur village said, "The average paddy yield is 35-40 quintals per acre, but this time it's down to 20-25. Those who lease land are in deep distress. The government must step in." Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), said about 40% of the yield in Malwa belt had already been lost, with total decline expected to be around 25% due to both disease and rainfall. He added that poor seed quality had contributed to the dwarfing of crops. "The Punjab government must announce compensation, subsidies and relaxations in interest amounts. Farmers have already endured floods and this fresh blow is devastating," he said. While harvesting has picked up pace in Punjab's Majha belt, it has yet to fully commence in the Malwa region, with only a few varieties of paddy arriving in grain markets. Early reports suggest lower yields, with crops showing signs of stress from disease and weather. Sunam agriculture development officer Narinderpal Singh said the dwarf virus was particularly visible in PR 131 and PUSA 44 varieties of paddy, while in other parts of Punjab, similar effects were seen in other PR strains as well. "In my experience, I have never seen such a drastic drop in yield as I have this time," he said, adding that the true extent of damage would become clearer once harvesting reached the halfway mark. Punjab agriculture director Jaswant Singh said the department's ongoing crop-cutting survey will reveal the full picture of the yield decline. State agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian assured that the compensation for losses due to diseases that inflicted the kharif crops, particularly paddy, had been sought in the memorandum sent last week to the central government. "Rs.12,905 crore have been sought. Of this Rs.2,800 crore will go towards supporting farmers for damages to crops due to floods and incessant rainfall in August and September," he added....