From saving lives as a nurse in Australia to transforming Zambia’s agriculture sector, Maria Zileni Zaloumis has become one of the country’s most inspiring young commercial farmers.
Popularly known as “The Zed Farmer,” Maria is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tuzini Farms Ltd, a thriving agribusiness venture based in Chisamba on the northern side of Lusaka.
Maria’s journey into agriculture began in 2015 after she returned to Zambia from Australia, where she had spent 12 years working as a nurse. She pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Australian Catholic University and later obtained a Master’s Degree in Cardiology from Wesley Hospital Brisbane.
While abroad, she started working at the age of 18 and managed to raise over 30,000 US dollars in startup capital through savings. Upon returning home, she found her father battling Alzheimer’s disease, which had prevented him from continuing with his small-scale farming activities. This inspired her to take over the family farm and pursue agriculture seriously.
In 2016, Maria officially established Tuzini Farms with just half a hectare of tomatoes. Today, the farm has expanded to over 13 hectares and produces more than 300 boxes of tomatoes daily.
Her produce supplies major markets and retail chains across Zambia, including Shoprite through Freshmark, as well as Soweto Market, Masala Market, Chisokone Market and even the border town of Kasumbalesa.
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Maria also made history by becoming the youngest person ever elected to the board of the Zambia National Farmers Union, later rising to the position of Director.
Despite her success, she says farming has not been without challenges. One of the biggest difficulties she faces is the unstable pricing of tomatoes.
Looking ahead, Maria plans to expand into value addition by processing tomatoes and producing sun-dried tomatoes for export. She also hopes to establish greenhouse projects covering more than 50 hectares for organic ginger and avocado production aimed at international markets.
Beyond business growth, she dreams of empowering local farmers through nationwide outgrower schemes and creating more than 1,000 jobs for Zambians.
Maria attributes her success to passion, discipline, hard work and faith in God. Her message to young people across Africa is to remain determined and never give up on their dreams.
“Do not wait for opportunities, create opportunities. Do everything with passion or not at all. Work hard, dream big. Success depends on the second letter ‘U’.” – Maria Zaloumis
