A 35-year-old former schoolteacher from a remote village near the Myanmar border in Mizoram has earned international recognition for turning a small strawberry-growing experiment into a profitable agricultural venture, with annual earnings exceeding Rs 10 lakh.Mari ZT Lalrithangi, a resident of Sangau village in Lawngtlai district, has been named among the FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development under the International Year of Women Farmers 2026 initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).She is the first Mizo woman to receive the recognition, having been selected from more than 600 nominees across 131 countries. Two women from India were among those honoured.The recognition was presented at the World Food Forum at FAO headquarters in Rome on October 15.Speaking to PTI over the phone from Rome on Friday, Lalrithangi expressed happiness at receiving the honour and acknowledged the support of her family, the Mizoram Horticulture Department and God in her journey as a farmer.From 1,000 Saplings to a Two-Hectare FarmLalrithangi began experimenting with strawberry cultivation in 2024 after learning about successful growers in neighbouring Siaha district. She initially planted around 1,000 saplings on farmland located approximately 5 km from Sangau village.The experiment gradually developed into a larger enterprise. She has since expanded her cultivation to more than 10,000 plants across two hectares.Her first year of farming generated an income of around Rs 1.5 lakh. By 2025, her earnings had increased to more than Rs 10 lakh, highlighting the potential of commercial strawberry cultivation in the region.Beyond selling fresh strawberries, Lalrithangi has diversified her business by processing part of her harvest into strawberry wine and candy. These products are primarily sold in local markets, allowing her to explore additional sources of income from her produce.From Government Job Aspirant to EntrepreneurA postgraduate in Sociology from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Lalrithangi previously worked as a private-school teacher and appeared for several competitive examinations in the hope of securing a government job.After repeated unsuccessful attempts, she began considering alternative career opportunities. She eventually decided that a government position was not the only path to financial security and turned to agriculture to build an independent livelihood.Despite having no formal training in strawberry cultivation, she learned farming techniques through online tutorials and by exchanging knowledge with other growers.Lalrithangi relied heavily on YouTube videos and agricultural learning resources, often studying late at night after completing her household responsibilities and caring for her three children.She had earlier told PTI that she made use of whatever time was available to learn about cultivation, including periods when she was breastfeeding her children.Family Support and Growing RecognitionHer husband, a teacher at a government-run primary school in Sangau, and her parents-in-law have supported her agricultural venture. The couple also devote their weekends to working on the farm.The FAO honour adds to Lalrithangi’s growing list of achievements. She was previously recognised as the best farmer from Lawngtlai district at the Mizoram Horti Fair 2026.Her journey demonstrates how agricultural innovation, self-learning and family support can create new livelihood opportunities in rural areas. By expanding her strawberry farm and developing value-added products, Lalrithangi has also highlighted the scope for women farmers in Mizoram to build sustainable, income-generating enterprises.Her international recognition places a spotlight on the contribution of women farmers to agrifood systems and rural development, particularly in remote communities where access to conventional employment opportunities may be limited.