New Delhi, July 3 -- State rehabilitation minister Makrand Patil told the Maharashtra legislative assembly on July 1, 2025 that 767 farmer suicides were reported between January and March this year. This means that, on average, at least one farmer died by suicide every three hours - drawing renewed attention to the enduring crisis in India's agricultural heartland.

The highest number of cases came from the Vidarbha region, he said. Patil was responding to a question during the session on how the government is supporting families who have lost their primary earners to suicide.

According to documents from the session accessed by Down To Earth, Patil in a written reply stated that the west Vidarbha districts of Yavatmal, Amravati, Akola, B...