Bihar woman turns village into ‘Mushroom Village’, empowers 250 women

When Anita Devi began growing mushrooms in Bihar's Nalanda district in 2010, not everyone understood what she was trying to do. Some villagers, particularly women, mocked her for cultivating what they locally called gobar chatta. They doubted that mushroom farming could improve her family's financial condition.Devi, however, continued with the work. What started as an attempt to earn an income gradually became a source of livelihood for women in her village and neighbouring areas. By 2012, her village, Anantpur, had been declared a 'Mushroom Village' by the Bihar agriculture department. By December 2017, nearly 250 women had joined the farmers' company she had established to expand mushroom cultivation.Today, Devi is popularly known as the 'Mushroom Lady of Bihar'. Her journey, which began with training and a small farming initiative, has also brought her into the national spotlight.