Zouheir Derouiche is the co-founder of Royal Plants, a plant nursery in the village of Sidi Madhkour, Haouaria that supplies seedlings and fertilizer to Tunisian farmers.

Mr. Derouiche developed a passion for farming at an early age and always had his sights set on a career in agriculture. After earning a degree in agronomy from the Advanced School of Agriculture in Kef, he joined El Bosten, a plant nursery in El Haouaria, working as a technical director and project manager. 

In early 2018, Mr. Derouiche, along with his long-time friends and co-workers Anouar Ben Yahya and Imed M’rabet, embarked on an entrepreneurial journey and founded Royal Plants. The company's primary focus is to provide seedlings and fertilizer to farmers, specializing in tomato, pepper, watermelon, and cantaloupe seedlings cultivated in their greenhouses. In addition, Royal Plants offers contract farming services, where it provides small farmers with seedlings and purchases their yield at the end of the harvest season. The company distinguishes itself by providing essential agricultural assistance and guidance, including on cultivation techniques, to its farmer clients.

Capitalizing on their extensive agricultural experience and connections, Royal Plants’ founders swiftly developed a strong network of farmers and suppliers across Tunisia. However, they soon encountered a challenge: the demand for their products, particularly tomatoes, exceeded the supply capacity.

To help them produce more high-quality tomatoes, JOBS introduced a training program in plant-grafting -- an advanced technique in which farmers join the tissues of two plants together to improve their quality and growth rate. As a result of this program, Royal Plants was able to increase its capacity, rapidly expand, and bring on 66 new employees.

While scaling up their operations, Royal Plants also recognized the importance of adding new late-season crops, such as lettuce, to ensure farmers had sustainable incomes throughout the year. JOBS helped fill this need, training eight agronomists and 10 partner farmers in lettuce-growing techniques.  As a result of this support, the company created 16 additional jobs and substantially increased its sales. 

“We currently have 10 well-trained agronomists and 120 operators, most of whom are women. We aspire to continue growing and to strengthen the local economy.”

Zouheir Derouiche
Co-founder – Royal Plants