Benin, All cereals, 2018

In 2018, Benin's annual estimated postharvest losses were 258,941 tonnes for maize, 50,947 tonnes for rice, 16,689 tonnes for sorghum, 2,925 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.8% for maize and 10.5% for sorghum. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 93 million USD, which corresponds to 2.3% of national agricultural GDP.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Benin, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Alibori, for rice in Alibori, for sorghum in Alibori, for millet in Atacora. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,080,959 people.

To view the list of studies used to estimate these losses, please see the References tab.

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Benin in 2018

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Rice Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 1,543,974 tonnes 374,706 tonnes 159,696 tonnes 26,218 tonnes
Loss % 16.8% 13.6% 10.5% 11.2%
Losses in tonnes 258,941 tonnes 50,947 tonnes 16,689 tonnes 2,925 tonnes
Financial value > 93 million USD > 50 million USD > 12 million USD –
% of national agricultural GDP 2.3% 1.3% 0.3% –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 1,080,959 people 212,679 people 68,671 people 12,735 people

See full postharvest losses data tables with loss percentage › | losses in tonnes › | losses in USD › | financial impact › | nutritional losses ›

Postharvest loss estimates per value chain step

  • Estimated % of crop left at this value chain stage
  • Estimated % of crop lost at this value chain stage
Harvesting/field drying
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 93.58 Crop left: 93.58% 6.4 Estimated PHL: 6.4%
Rice 95.60 Crop left: 95.60% 4.4 Estimated PHL: 4.4%
Sorghum 95.45 Crop left: 95.45% 4.6 Estimated PHL: 4.6%
Millet 96.50 Crop left: 96.50% 3.5 Estimated PHL: 3.5%
Further drying
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 89.58 Crop left: 89.58% 4.0 Estimated PHL: 4.0%
Rice 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Sorghum 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Millet 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Threshing and Shelling
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 88.26 Crop left: 88.26% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Rice 92.46 Crop left: 92.46% 3.1 Estimated PHL: 3.1%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 3.6 Estimated PHL: 3.6%
Millet 94.50 Crop left: 94.50% 2.0 Estimated PHL: 2.0%
Winnowing
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Rice 89.96 Crop left: 89.96% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 92.00 Crop left: 92.00% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.90 Crop left: 85.90% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 89.50 Crop left: 89.50% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 82.89 Crop left: 82.89% 3.0 Estimated PHL: 3.0%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 88.33 Crop left: 88.33% 1.2 Estimated PHL: 1.2%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.24 Crop left: 81.24% 1.7 Estimated PHL: 1.7%
Rice 87.71 Crop left: 87.71% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Sorghum 88.68 Crop left: 88.68% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 88.33 Crop left: 88.33% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 78.59 Crop left: 78.59% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Rice 85.06 Crop left: 85.06% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 86.03 Crop left: 86.03% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 88.33 Crop left: 88.33% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%

See full value chain data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes › | USD ›