The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released a report on Suicides among farmworkers.
The number of agricultural labourers who died by suicide in 2020 was 18% higher than the previous year.
Overall, 10,677 people engaged in the farm sector died by suicide in 2020.
Landless agricultural labourers, who did not benefit from income support schemes such as PM Kisan, may have faced higher levels of distress during the pandemic.
The worst among the States continues to be Maharashtra, with 4,006 suicides in the farm sector, including a 15% increase in farmworker suicides.
The other States with a poor record include Karnataka (2016), Andhra Pradesh (889) and Madhya Pradesh (735).
Karnataka saw a dismal 43% increase in the number of farmworker suicides in 2020.