Mizoram Farmer Z T Lalrithangi Named Among FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems

Exam-focused facts from the 26 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Z T Lalrithangi, a 35-year-old former schoolteacher from Sangau in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, has been named among the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development.
She was selected from more than 600 nominees across 131 countries and is one of two women from India to receive the recognition, part of the International Year of Women Farmers 2026.
She was informed of her selection by the FAO through an email on September 21 and will receive the award at the World Food Forum at the FAO headquarters in Rome, scheduled from October 12 to 16.
She began strawberry cultivation in 2024 with around 1,000 saplings on a farm about 5 km from Sangau, earning about Rs 1.5 lakh in the first year, and now grows more than 10,000 strawberry plants across two hectares along with avocado, banana and other fruits and vegetables.
Her strawberry earnings crossed Rs 10 lakh in 2025, and she also processes part of the harvest into strawberry wine sold in local markets.
She was adjudged the best farmer from Lawngtlai district at the Mizoram Horti Fair 2026.
She holds a postgraduate degree in Sociology from IGNOU and previously worked as a private-school teacher.
Without formal training or initial government support, she learnt strawberry cultivation through online tutorials and by observing other growers.