Maria the Zambian “Tomato Queen” dates Start Up Grind Lusaka

They stand around the dining area at Lusaka’s Casa Portico in the affluent suburbs of Long Acres a few kilometers from State House discussing agriculture being the one topic that has drawn everyone here.

Despite the weather not being the friendliest this evening, most people’s attention on the fortunes that today’s Start Up Grind Lusaka guest seems to be raking in from her agro venture in tomato farming seems to be the heater providing them with the much needed warmth.

And as soon as Maria Zileni Zaloumis the 32 year old "tomato queen" emerges, everyone’s attention draws toward her as they spot smiles of admiration for her courage to abandon nursing a field she is trained in and take up agriculture a field she was totally blank in hitherto.

The old and young have all gathered to get some inspiration after hearing about Maria’s daily tomatoe sales which range between K25, 000 and K40, 000 when the price is good making monthly sales equivalent to some people’s retirement packages after serving in employment for years. However it comes at a cost owing to high chemical prices, time, dedication and passion.

 

 

Maria right being interviewed by Shupe.

 

As soon as she settles with her interviewer ShupeMwanza who is Start Up Grind Zambia Chapter Co-Chairperson, the audience is all eyes and ears on Maria as she delves into how she started from half a hectare of tomatoes in August 2016 started by her mum to the current 13 hectares.  

She reveals that the market for tomato in Zambia is huge adding that bigger farmers whom she looks up to are also in the league.

 

Part of Maria's tomato field

 

“I sale most of my tomatoes at Soweto market and we also extend to Southern and Western Provinces with the latter being a link into the Angolan Markert,” notes Maria.

Fast forward asked about where she sees herself in five years time, with a smile on her face while cleaning her right eye with tissue after suffering a chemical spill earlier in the morning on her farm, Maria shoots straight into wanting to make an impact in the country and inspire many others.

"In five years, I want to make such a bg impact in Zambia espcially among young people like me. I want to add value to my tomato business maybe have an outgrower scheme,“ says the bubbly farmer.

Maria told the gathering that she also has cows with which she has developed a close bond and does not even think of ever killing or selling them.

"I love my mum's cows and they all have names to which they respond,“ she notes.

 Maria employs 23 full time farmers but the number of employees at times skyrockets to 45 depending on the amount of work which requires the engagement of part timers.

 

A member of the audience asking Maria a question

She views farming as a sector that will create a lot of employment in the next few years because of the rise in demand of food locally and the region owing to population expansion. Maria encourages young people to consider venturing into the sector and create their own jobs instead of lamenting to government for jobs.

With enough publicity recieved over the months after first making an appearance on ZNBC TV in a documentary with Effie Mphande, Maria has seen plenty of glory and success following her with the Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya having toured her farm for a recording with CNN on Maize production recently. The 32 year old was also interviewed by the international news outlet on maize production which she grows for her cattle to cut down on feed costs.

 

Part of audience listening to Maria's agric story

 

Recently Maria took up a new challenge of  Chairperson of Fruits and Vegetables under the Zambia National Farmers Union. She attributes all the glory and success which have made her the youngest commercial tomato farmer in the country in less than a year of venturing into the sector accidentally to passion, hardwork and faith in GOD.

She now plans of extending her tentacles into livestock production like dairy cows on a large scale but first she wants to stabilize in tomatoe production.

With a lot of publicity recieved Maria has caught more than the attention of international media outlets but also international agencies like USAID who have given her a grant in form of a Green House for her seddlings.

 

Maria in front of her new green house

 

About Start Up Grind Lusaka

Start Up Grind Lusaka is part of Start Up Grind Global a Silicon Valley-based organization that educates and mentors entrepreneurs through monthly business events and speaking series. It is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting 1,000,000 entrepreneurs in over 200 cities. For Zambia the platform is held every last Thursday of the month.

https://www.startupgrind.com/lusaka/

Maria Zaloumis the “tomato Queen” reaps big from the Red GOLD

She stands amongst erect tomato plants taller than her, holding four fruits in her left hand and spotting a huge smile, happy with the success of her produce.

Her name is Maria Zaloumis a 32 year old trained nurse and cardiologist who recently abandoned her medical career to become a “Tomato Queen” exercising her passion for entrepreneurship through farming.

Maria’s entry into farming was after completion of her education in Australia returning to the family farm that only had a half hectare of tomatoes and an ailing father unable to manage it. Armed with a few savings from her school days and her parents’ 40 hectare land Maria set out on the agric path with only one goal; to succeed.

She has managed to expand the operation from half a hectare of tomatoes to 13 hectares from which she harvests between 250 and 400 boxes everyday giving her approximately daily revenue of K12, 500 at the lowest price of K50 per box.

“I am the type of woman who loves challenges. I needed a change in my life because I have an entrepreneurial mind as being in medicine and nursing you always work for someone so I wanted to work for myself,” she says in response to a question on what inspired her to give up a prestigious job for farming.

Maria says her start was on expanding the half hectare of tomatoes by planting 13,000 plants with huge returns being re-invested in the business for further expansion.  For young people wishing to get in to farming, her advice is for them to raise capital through savings and downscale their lives.

“Young people with 9 to 5 jobs should save up some money to raise capital and also adjust their lives I had to did with my life through cutting down a lot of things. I am not on a salary from the time I started as I put back all the monies I make for expansion so I have not benefited much from this venture so that I secure a better future,” she says adding  that “building a business empire takes time so I have given myself two years to be on a salary. The first two to five years depending on how big you want to grow you won’t get a salary because you getting the money meant to expand to look after yourself, so it’s either you grow yourself or grow your business.”

Current operations

The 40 ha farm is slowly becoming small for her vision hence she is looking at a second farm to expand operations. Currently Maria has dedicated 13 ha for tomatoes, 8 ha for maize meant for her cows, some grazing pasture and about 20 beds for rape meant to service bills for chemicals which she gets from some company.

Her venture has since created 32 jobs, 25 full time, two taking care of her cattle and four guards of which two take up the night shifts and two day shifts.

“I take good care of my workers especially my women because they mean a lot to me and I give make them to run the farm once a week,” she notes.

 

Lessons learnt

“I have learnt a lot from farming the short period I have been in it. Tomato prices got depressed in January and they were like that for about three months during which we went through a hard time until recently when they started picking up,” narrates Maria.

Among key lessons Maria says she has learnt about farming is financial discipline. She says tomato farming especially requires high level of financial discipline because all anticipated fortunes from the crop can be overturned over night by diseases like Tuta absoluta which recently raked havoc among many farmers.

Maria adds that she has also learnt to be focused and consistent because the two are key weapons in one’s success as doing the same thing every day makes one become better at it.

“When you do something as a young person, do it very well, you may not be recognized by your bosses but other people and eventually doors open. So put your heart into it through being focused and consistent,” she says.

Land availability

With the latest trends indicating that many young people are developing interest to venture into agriculture, land acquisition remains a major challenge because of the complexities and high costs involved. Land remains a key factor of production in agriculture and its proximity to town makes it more expensive. Thus Maria observes that “the deeper you go, the cheaper land gets” a statement which makes that land in the outskirts of town which people are avoiding is cheap.

True to the Tomato Queen’s words many Zambians want land that is close to town which is however very expensive and beyond the affordability of an average young Zambian, worse still youths wishing to try their luck at a sector set to create the next generation of self made millionaires.

Maria advices government to develop a scheme for young people wishing to venture into agriculture which will provide them with incentives that will see them easily access land.  In addition Maria is appealing to government to consider developing ways of funding young people involved in the sector through loans or grants subject to serious scrutiny of their credit background.

Five year projection

“It is positive at the moment and a lot of people are getting into farming as seen on social media. I see Zambia feeding itself in five years time,” observes Maria.

However Maria is quick to emphasize the need for crop diversification among new entrants in the sector.

“Just because I grow tomatoes and it is lucrative for me does not mean that everyone getting in agriculture should grow tomatoes. Young people should look at other fields of agriculture such as production of fruits which is not common in Zambia,” she says.

In wrapping up our interview the tomato queen says farming is not an easy thing but with focus and consistency it is doable for young people. She says the best time to venture into farming is now for young people because of the high energy.

Her final words are; “You don’t need a lot of money to start farming, even just 5,000 plants on a small field and then you start expanding with time.”