The government in Brazil says it has accepted an invitation by the Landless People's Movement to discuss an end to the looting in the drought-stricken northeastern region.

The Brazilian Land Reform Minister, Raul Jungmann, said a meeting will take place next to week to debate the Landless People's Movement proposals.

More than a thousand rural workers are camping in front of the Land Reform Institute office, Incra, in the northeastern city of Recife.

They want the the government to speed up land distributon and the release of funds for rural workers who have recently been re-settled.

The Brazilian government is expected to announce today a major package of measures to alleviate the drought effects.