NAKODAR/NURMAHAL/SHAHKOT
Though rich farmers have constructed permanent sheds for storing wheat straw (turri) and chaff, the huge conical mounds, called kupp, are still the default mode of storage for average farmers across the state.
Once the harvesting season ends, kupps become ubiquitous in all the fields. It is a cheap and easy way of storing the chaff and wheat straw, which are eventually used as cattle fodder.
After the area for making a Kupp is earmarked a circular boundary of straw and sticks is laid out. After this chaff is filled into the centre to ensure it fits tightly into the earmarked space. This process is repeated several times until a particular height is reached. The hay is then secured with the help of rope or metal wire.
Earlier, the piling up of chaff, which is done in concentric circles, was carried out by the farmers themselves but the recent influx of migrant labourers into the state has led to the job being shifted to the latter.
Labourers charge Rs 650 for filling chaff from one trolley into a kupp and usually, 5 to 22 trolleys of chaff are filled into one cup, which has an average height of 9-10 feet.
Some farmers erect kupps hoping to sell turri when it becomes costly. It may be mentioned here that last year turri was sold in Jamsher fodder market at a very high rate.