Meet Bihar's 'Mushroom Lady' Bina Devi, Who Is Now Empowering 70,000 Rural Women

In a quiet corner of Bihar's Munger district, a woman once struggled to feed her four children. Poverty loomed large. The family had no land to farm, no steady income, and no certainty about the next meal. Yet, it was in these difficult circumstances that Bina Devi found an unusual and powerful way forward and she started cultivating mushrooms under the bed she slept on.

What began as a small farming in a cramped room has today become a movement of rural empowerment. Bina Devi is now known across the country as "The Mushroom Lady," a title earned through the transformation she has sparked in the lives of thousands of women across more than 100 villages.

Bina Devi, a resident of Tilkari village located in Tetiha Bambor, had few resources but immense resolve. With four children to raise and a household running on her husband's modest income as a rural doctor, even lighting the stove some days was a challenge.

They had no land to farm. No capital to invest. But Bina was determined to break the cycle of poverty. When traditional farming was out of reach, she chose an unconventional path-mushroom cultivation, something that doesn't require large fields or expensive infrastructure.

In her first attempt, she ordered just one kilogram of mushroom seeds and began growing them in the limited space under her bed.

Learning through struggle

Mushroom farming, Bina Devi soon discovered, was not as simple as it looked. It required precise control of humidity, temperature, and hygiene, factors that are hard to manage without training or facilities.

Despite low yields in the beginning, Bina remained undeterred. She sought guidance from Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour in Bhagalpur, where she learned the technical know-how that would eventually change her life.

Her efforts bore fruit as production steadily increased. 

Turning a household task into a livelihood

With demand for mushrooms growing in the local market, and prices ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per kilogram, Bina Devi began to see profits and her income eventually reached several lakhs annually.

This transformed her household. Her children, once on the brink of educational neglect, are now growing. Her eldest son is studying engineering, and the others are receiving quality education too.

As her success grew, so did her ambitions, not only for herself, but for other women like her.

A mission to empower rural women

Bina Devi didn't want her success to remain hers alone. She began teaching other women how to cultivate mushrooms.

Today, women from over 100 villages are involved in mushroom cultivation because of her. Bina Devi personally trained them, offering support and encouragement to help them become self-reliant.

"When women become financially independent, their self-respect increases," Bina Devi says. "They gain confidence, and their place in the family and society improves."

National recognition 

The impact of Bina Devi's work has not gone unnoticed. In 2014, she was felicitated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In 2018, she received the Women Farmer Award, followed by the Kisan Abhinav Puraskar in 2019.

On International Women's Day in 2020, she was honored by then-President Ram Nath Kovind. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised her story during his Mann Ki Baat radio programme.

"When I met PM Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind, I was overwhelmed," Bina Devi says with a smile. "I even took mushrooms, nimki, pickles, and biscuits for them."

She further said, "People used to call me crazy when I started," she admits. "They made fun of my work. But I never stopped. I kept doing what I believed in-and I never looked back."

At the time, Smriti Irani took to X and shared the story of Bina Devi. She wrote, "Known as 'Mushroom Mahila', Bina Devi not only reinvented agricultural practices in her village but also inspired women from other villages to adopt mushroom cultivation. An advocate of digital literacy, she has also been Sarpanch of Dhauri Panchayat in Bihar."

Known as ‘Mushroom Mahila', Bina Devi not only reinvented agricultural practices in her village but also inspired women from other villages to adopt mushroom cultivation. An advocate of digital literacy, she has also been Sarpanch of Dhauri Panchayat in Bihar. #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/2wovWP3ywd

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) March 8, 2020

Voice for organic farming

Bina Devi's mission hasn't stopped with mushroom cultivation. She has now become an advocate for organic farming, encouraging farmers to shift away from chemical-based agriculture.

She teaches techniques for chemical-free farming, emphasising both health benefits and environmental responsibility.

An appeal to government

Despite national recognition and the sheer scale of her grassroots impact, Bina Devi says she has not received any direct support from government schemes.

"I haven't received any government assistance," she says. "I appeal to the Prime Minister and the Bihar government to ensure that women like us can benefit from employment schemes."

She also added, "I have raised awareness among 60,000 to 70,000 women. These women are now earning, educating their children, and living with dignity. They no longer have to ask their husbands for money."

Legacy rooted in resilience

Bina Devi's story is more than a tale of personal victory. It is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and community leadership. From the floor of a home in Munger to the national stage, her journey shows what is possible when one woman refuses to accept defeat.

(With inputs from Rohit Kumar)