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. In March 2025, she was among six women who were given access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s social media accounts on International Women’s Day to share their stories.
From financial difficulties to mushroom farming
As reported by Scroll and various media reports, Devi is a home science graduate who was looking for a way to contribute to her family’s income. Her husband, Sanjay Kumar, was also struggling financially, and conventional livelihood options had not brought the family much relief.In 2010, she approached the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Harnaut, Nalanda, for guidance. Officials suggested that she take up mushroom cultivation. She subsequently received training at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University in Samastipur, Bihar, and GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttarakhand.The decision was not immediately welcomed by people around her. In her conversation with Scroll, Devi recalled how some villagers taunted her for growing mushrooms. “Some villagers, particularly women, used to taunt me for growing gobar chatta, as wild mushroom is known locally,” she said. She added that they would tell her that the work would not help change her life.But she continued cultivating mushrooms, and her efforts gradually attracted the attention of other women. As more people began adopting the practice, Anantpur received the ‘Mushroom Village’ designation in 2012.The change was also visible within her own family. Her husband later opened a garment shop in Madhopur, while their two sons pursued studies in horticulture and their daughter enrolled in a B.Ed programme.
Building a farmers’ company to bring more women into the business
She established the Madhopur Farmers Producers Company Limited in 2016.
As the number of women interested in mushroom cultivation grew, Devi wanted to create a structure through which they could work together, access government support and find better opportunities to sell their produce. She established the Madhopur Farmers Producers Company Limited in 2016. Nearly 250 women were associated with the company by December 2017. Many of them were members of self-help groups formed under Bihar’s Jeevika rural livelihood programme.The women came from several villages in Nalanda.The business also offered women an opportunity to earn from their homes without having to make a large initial investment. In 2017, her monthly income from the enterprise was more than Rs 25,000.
From a village initiative to a company supporting hundreds of farmers
The company also provides farmers with essential agricultural inputs, including seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, at affordable rates.
The enterprise continued to develop beyond its initial group of women. According to a 2025 Farmland Bazaar report, Madhopur Farmers Producer Company had expanded its network to 512 farmers, with a target of reaching 1,500. The company also provides farmers with essential agricultural inputs, including seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, at affordable rates. According to the report, Devi has also worked on connecting farmers with online platforms and hotel businesses to improve the market for their produce.Her work received national attention on March 8, 2025, when she was among six women selected to share their experiences through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts on International Women’s Day.Devi used the opportunity to speak about her journey from struggling to earn an income to establishing her own farmers’ company. Explaining why she started the company, she said: “I have seen a lot of struggle in life. But I always wanted to do something on my own.” She also spoke about the role the enterprise had played in creating livelihood opportunities for other women.“Today, I am working to take my family forward through mushroom production. I have not only made my path easier but have also made hundreds of women self-reliant by giving them employment opportunities,” she said in the message shared through the Prime Minister’s X account.She added that the company now provides farmers with essential supplies at lower rates and that women associated with it were earning a livelihood while gaining self-respect. Her plans also extend beyond mushrooms. Following the announcement of the Makhana Board, Devi said she was considering work related to makhana (fox nuts), an important agricultural product in Bihar.She also shared a message for other women who wanted to start something of their own: “If I did it, you can do it too!”The woman who was once mocked for growing mushrooms had, over the years, helped make the crop a source of livelihood for hundreds of rural women.
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