Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: Z T Lalrithangi, a 35-year-old former private-school teacher, will head to Rome this October. She is one of two Indian women named among the FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development. The UN recognition honors her success in turning small-scale strawberry farming into a major livelihood.
Lalrithangi lives in Sangau, located in the Lawngtlai district of Mizoram. She competed against 600 nominees from 131 countries. The Food and Agriculture Organization will host the ceremony during the World Food Forum from October 12 to 16. She received notice of her win via email on September 21.
She started in 2024 with 1,000 saplings near Sangau after observing growers in the Siaha district. Success came fast. She earned Rs 1.5 lakh in year one and scaled up to 10,000 plants across two hectares. By 2025, her earnings exceeded Rs 10 lakh. She also produces strawberry wine for local buyers and grows bananas and avocados.
“We started and experimented with the plantation in 2024 in a small area after learning about successful strawberry cultivation by some farmers in Siaha district. After earning about Rs 1.5 lakh in the initial year, we thought it was worth continuing and expanded the cultivation,” Lalrithangi told PTI.
She holds a postgraduate degree in Sociology from IGNOU. After failing to secure government work, she chose independence over traditional employment. She learned her trade through YouTube tutorials, often studying late at night while raising three children. She initially launched the farm without government backing but eventually gained support from the state Horticulture Department. She also earned the best farmer title at the Mizoram Horti Fair 2026.
Her husband and parents-in-law assist with the workload. The family spends weekends at the farm, hiring extra hands when harvest demands spike. She is currently finishing travel paperwork for her trip to Italy.
Comments