Maharashtra's Agrarian Crisis: 6,667 Farmer Suicides in 2023 Expose Flaws in Crop Insurance and Compensation Systems

In 2023, Maharashtra reported 6,667 farm suicides, per state assembly data. The deaths included 4,150 farmers, 2,519 labourers, and 77 women farmers; Marathwada had 217 cases. Officials acknowledged underreporting among landless farmers. Nonpayments of compensation, huge insurance-company profits under PMFBY, and poor oversight revived calls for rural-support reform and transparency.