More suicides by Indian farmers

By Zubair Ahmed
BBC News, Mumbai

Many farmers have been hit hard

Eighteen cotton farmers in India's Maharashtra state have committed suicide despite a recent relief package announced by the Indian prime minister.

Activists working with distressed farmers in the state say they are heavily in debt and need immediate relief which has not arrived.

Hundreds of farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra in recent years.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced aid worth nearly $815m (£444m) for the farmers.

Kishor Tiwari, who has been working with the farmers in debt, says initially the prime minister's announcement was greeted with relief.

But it soon became apparent to them that the relief package was meant for projects which will take three to five years to complete.

The farmers are also demanding an end to the free market regime introduced last year following the World Trade Organisation agreement.

More than 600 farmers have committed suicide in the state's Vidarbha region since June last year.

Campaigners say the farmers are forced to borrow money from money-lenders to buy seeds and then are thrown into crisis after crops fail because of drought.