When Z T Lalrithangi finished her studies, she was looking for a government job. She appeared for several competitive examinations, hoping to find a secure career. But after repeated failures, the former private-school teacher began asking herself whether a government job was really the only way to build a livelihood.“I thought a government job should not be my only focus to earn a living, as there are other ways to have a good income if a person really works hard,” Lalrithangi said, according to a PTI report.Today, the 35-year-old from Sangau in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district is preparing to travel to Rome after being selected among the FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development, an initiative being held as part of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 by United Nations. She is one of two women from India among 100 selected from more than 600 nominees across 131 countries.The recognition comes after she turned strawberry cultivation into a livelihood – beginning with about 1,000 saplings in 2024 and expanding to more than 10,000 strawberry plants spread across two hectares.
The FAO honour recognises Lalrithangi among 100 women contributing to agrifood systems and rural development.
The turning point
According to Nagaland Post report, Lalrithangi, popularly known as Pi Mari-i, holds a postgraduate degree in Sociology from IGNOU. Before entering farming, she worked as a private-school teacher and had tried several competitive examinations in the hope of securing a government job.The turning point was not simply about finding another occupation. It was also about becoming financially independent.“Although my husband can support our family, I asked myself what the purpose of my education was unless I became self-dependent. All these thoughts motivated me to switch to farming,” she said.Her first experiment was with strawberries. In 2024, after learning about farmers successfully cultivating the crop in neighbouring Siaha district, she decided to try it herself.“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,” she said.She began with around 1,000 saplings on a farm about 5 km from Sangau. The first year brought her around Rs 1.5 lakh from the crop. That was enough to convince her that the experiment was worth expanding.“After earning about Rs 1.5 lakh in the initial year, we thought it was worth continuing and expanded the cultivation,” she said.By 2025, her earnings from strawberries had crossed Rs 10 lakh, according to the reports. She now grows more than 10,000 strawberry plants across two hectares, alongside avocado, banana and other fruits and vegetables. Part of her strawberry produce is also processed into strawberry wine for sale in local markets.
Local MLA congratulating Lalrithangi for the honor
She had no formal strawberry training
The farm did not begin with formal training or extensive institutional backing. Lalrithangi initially approached the authorities for assistance but was told that strawberries were not covered under the department’s project at the time.She decided to go ahead on her own. Government assistance was later extended to her in different forms. Without formal training in strawberry cultivation, Lalrithangi turned to the internet and other farmers for practical lessons. “I used to read and study from the internet, particularly farming technique tutorials available on YouTube,” she said.But finding the time to learn was another challenge. Lalrithangi was raising three children while building the farm. Her study sessions often happened late at night. “As a mother to three children, I have little time. So, I studied until late at night and sometimes while breastfeeding,” she said.Her husband, who works at a state-run primary school, and her parents-in-law supported her farming activities. Lalrithangi and her husband also spend weekends at the farm, while labourers are hired when required.“It is the collective support of my family that brings the farming to fruition and then the global recognition,” she said.
From a small experiment to global recognition
The FAO recognition is not Lalrithangi’s first acknowledgement. She was adjudged the best farmer from Lawngtlai district at the Mizoram Horti Fair 2026.Her international recognition comes under the FAO’s “100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” initiative, which is being presented during the World Food Forum at FAO headquarters in Rome. The ceremony is scheduled for October 15, with the World Food Forum taking place from October 12 to 16.Lalrithangi was informed of her selection by the FAO through email on September 21 and is currently completing the mandatory travel documentation for Rome, according to the reports.For someone who once believed her next step depended on clearing a government examination, the journey has taken an unexpected turn. Her postgraduate education did not lead her into the career she had initially imagined. Instead, she used her willingness to learn, experimented with a crop unfamiliar to her and built her livelihood around it.Lalrithangi has credited her family, the state Horticulture Department and God’s guidance for the recognition.The woman who began with about 1,000 strawberry saplings is now headed to an FAO ceremony in Rome – not because she found the government job she once wanted, but because she chose to create another path for herself.