Diva Rice boss threatens to cancel contract with distributors

Ifeyinwa Mba, chief executive officer, Diva World Trading Services, brand owners of Diva Rice, has accused distributors for the incessant increase in the price of local rice in the market.

Rice is a staple food in most homes in Nigeria and to encourage self sufficiency in its production, as well as make it more affordable for families; the Federal Government of Nigeria banned its importation.

However, this move by Nigeria’s government has not yielded fruit, rather it has worsened the situation, as the price of local rice has gone beyond the reach of many families in Nigeria.

Mba, who expressed shock over what she termed “Shylock nature” of distributors, explained that her company delivers a bag of 50kg rice to major distributors at the cost of N21, 500, free of transport charges, while they sell at N25,000 to retailers, who also mark up the price to make their own profit, thereby making rice unaffordable for most families in Nigeria.

She argued that the distributors were expected to make N1,000 profit from her brand of rice, since they deliver products to them free of transport.

Consequently, she threatened to cancel her contract with such greedy distributors who refuse to refrain from arbitrary increase in product price, as she wants to retain her market share and remain in business.

According to her, “I’ve received series of complaints from people, who say our brand of rice is expensive.

Local rice is not meant to be sold at the same price with foreign rice. Our aim of investing in rice processing is to make the product available and affordable for the people.

“I’m new in this business and I want to grow. If our product is expensive, we won’t compete favourably in the market, because we have competitors.”

Diva brand of rice, product of Diva World Trading Services, based in Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, hit the local market in September, 2021.

The 30-ton digital rice mill, first of its kind in the state, will support Federal Government’s drive to make Nigeria sufficient in rice production, as well as create jobs.

Mba, who started rice business in 2019 in a rented apartment in Benue State, decided to set up a modern rice mill in Imo State to boost rice production in the South-East region of the country.

Consequently, the coming of Diva Rice Mill has provided available market for small holder rice farmers and particularly rural women farmers, who toil to process their paddies manually with little or no profit at all.