Ethiopia, Sorghum, 2014

Ethiopia's estimated postharvest losses for sorghum in 2014 was 481,241 tonnes or 12.5% which had an estimated value of more than 132 million US dollar, which corresponds to 0.6% of national agricultural GDP.

As for nutrition 1,631 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 1 million people, in terms of annual nutritional dietary energy requirements. In the value chain, the majority of the loss is estimated to be happening at Harvesting/field drying, Threshing and Shelling, and then Household-level storage. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Oromia.

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 4000137
2012 3983772
2013 3643921
2014 3841678
2015 4238705
2016 4351245
2017 4786205
2018 5263483
2019 3652267
2020 3652267
Produced 3,841,678 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses 12.5% / 481,241 tonnes / > 132 million USD
Production quantity Estimated postharvest losses
87.4732 Production quantity: 3,841,678 tonnes 12.5 Estimated PHL: 481,241 tonnes

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

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 100 Remaining: 100%
Est. PHL: 0%
0 Remaining: 100%
Est. PHL: 0%
Harvesting/field drying 95.45 Remaining: 95.45%
Est. PHL: 4.55%
4.55 Remaining: 95.45%
Est. PHL: 4.55%
Threshing and Shelling 91.85 Remaining: 91.85%
Est. PHL: 3.6%
3.6 Remaining: 91.85%
Est. PHL: 3.6%
Winnowing 91.85 Remaining: 91.85%
Est. PHL: 0%
0 Remaining: 91.85%
Est. PHL: 0%
Transport from field 89.68333 Remaining: 89.68333%
Est. PHL: 2.16667%
2.16667 Remaining: 89.68333%
Est. PHL: 2.16667%
Household-level storage 86.94827 Remaining: 86.94827%
Est. PHL: 2.73506%
2.73506 Remaining: 86.94827%
Est. PHL: 2.73506%
Transport to market 85.94827 Remaining: 85.94827%
Est. PHL: 1%
1 Remaining: 85.94827%
Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage 83.29827 Remaining: 83.29827%
Est. PHL: 2.65%
2.65 Remaining: 83.29827%
Est. PHL: 2.65%

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

Nutrition

Number of people whose annual dietary requirements (in terms of energy, kcal) could have been met by consuming the sorghum that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

1,919,791

people, 1.8%


Children 1-3

4,533,068

children, 48.8%


Pregnant women 19-30

1,640,824

women, 170.9%


Men 31-50

1,452,585

men, 14.3%

See full nutritional impact data for Children 1–3 › | Pregnant women 19–30 › | Men 31–50 ›