MADRAS, India -- The western Indian state of Maharashtra, whose capital is the nation's financial capital Bombay, has made great strides in lifting cotton production. Land dedicated to growing cotton increased from 92,000 hectares in 2003 to 480,000 hectares in 2004, according to government sources.
As more and more land continues to be planted in cotton, India has now joined the list of "biotech" mega-nations (those growing at least 50,000 hectares of biotech crop) -- along with the United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, China, Paraguay and South Africa.
Yet there is no sign of farmer suicides abating. In January alone, 62 farmers took their lives, and the state government says some 3,000 farmers have killed themselves in the past three years.