To view the list of studies used to estimate these losses, please see the References tab.
Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses
Production quantity (tonnes)
Estimated postharvest losses (tonnes)
2011–2021
2011
5481404
2012
6432601
2013
6559890
2014
7105706
2015
7631365
2016
8211426
2017
8806174
2018
9391634
2019
6317174
2020
6317174
Produced
6,317,174 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses
17.6%
/ 1,109,201 tonnes
Production quantity
Estimated postharvest losses
82.4415Production quantity: 6,317,174 tonnes
17.6Estimated PHL: 1,109,201 tonnes
See full postharvest losses data table with estimated losses in
percentage ›
| tonnes ›
Value chain
Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses in % per value chain step. Please note that once loss has occurred at harvesting, the percentage loss in the next stage is a percentage of what remained, not of the original amount.
Estimated % of crop left
Estimated % of crop lost
Amount remaining(%)
Estimated postharvest loss(%)
Production
100Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%
0Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%
Harvesting/field drying
93.58Remaining: 93.58% Est. PHL: 6.42%
6.42Remaining: 93.58% Est. PHL: 6.42%
Further drying
89.58Remaining: 89.58% Est. PHL: 4%
4Remaining: 89.58% Est. PHL: 4%
Threshing and Shelling
88.26Remaining: 88.26% Est. PHL: 1.32%
1.32Remaining: 88.26% Est. PHL: 1.32%
Transport from field
85.89067Remaining: 85.89067% Est. PHL: 2.36933%
2.36933Remaining: 85.89067% Est. PHL: 2.36933%
Household-level storage
81.0788Remaining: 81.0788% Est. PHL: 4.81187%
4.81187Remaining: 81.0788% Est. PHL: 4.81187%
Transport to market
79.4288Remaining: 79.4288% Est. PHL: 1.65%
1.65Remaining: 79.4288% Est. PHL: 1.65%
Market storage
76.7788Remaining: 76.7788% Est. PHL: 2.65%
2.65Remaining: 76.7788% Est. PHL: 2.65%
See full value chain data table with estimated losses in
percentage ›
| tonnes ›
Nutrition
Number of people whose annual dietary requirements (in terms of energy, kcal) could have been met by consuming the maize that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.