Reports from the South Indian State of Karnataka say that at least three farmers have committed suicide because of crop failure. If confirmed, their deaths follow on from the suicides of at least 50 farmers from the neighbouring State of Andhra Pradesh since December. The causes of the farmers' deaths tend to be the same. Low yields from their crops make it harder for them to repay loans, mostly spent on pesticides; in many cases, agricultural chemicals are instead consumed by the farmers as a means of committing suicide. Alistair Lawson reports from Delhi:

Cotton farming in parts of South India is in crisis. Some estimates say that in Andhra Pradesh alone, 65 farmers have taken their lives, many leaving behind young families.

Crops in the state were damaged initially by drought but later by unexpected rains. That, coupled with pest attacks, has led to a 50% fall in yields.

The indiscriminate use of pesticides is believed by some agriculturalists to be a major cause of the crisis. They say that some crop-destroying insects such as the American boll worm have become immune to chemicals.

Farmers are forced to spend more as Western-produced pesticides become more sophisticated, forcing them into a cycle of debt. Ironically, farmers say that the insects that normally feed on the boll worm have been destroyed by the pesticides.

The state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have both announced compensation schemes to mitigate the suffering of the farmers. However, critics argue that the scheme in Andhra Pradesh is little more than a stunt to garner votes in India's forthcoming general elections.