Kenya, All cereals, 2020

In 2020, Kenya's annual estimated postharvest losses were 603,145 tonnes for maize, 53,554 tonnes for wheat, 39,981 tonnes for sorghum, 20,085 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.7% for maize and 12.5% for barley. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 192 million USD.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Kenya, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Rift Valley, for wheat in Rift Valley, for sorghum in Eastern, for millet in Eastern. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 2,569,220 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Kenya in 2020

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Wheat Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 3,619,374 tonnes 404,695 tonnes 316,256 tonnes 155,907 tonnes
Loss % 16.7% 13.2% 12.6% 12.9%
Losses in tonnes 603,145 tonnes 53,554 tonnes 39,981 tonnes 20,085 tonnes
Financial value > 192 million USD – – –
% of national agricultural GDP – – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 2,569,220 people – 159,486 people 77,522 people

See full postharvest losses data tables with loss percentage › | losses in tonnes › | losses in USD › | 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%
Wheat 95.57 Crop left: 95.57% 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%
Wheat 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%
Wheat 92.07 Crop left: 92.07% 3.5 Estimated PHL: 3.5%
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
Wheat 92.07 Crop left: 92.07% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 92.06 Crop left: 92.06% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.88 Crop left: 85.88% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Wheat 89.57 Crop left: 89.57% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 89.56 Crop left: 89.56% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 83.36 Crop left: 83.36% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Wheat 89.50 Crop left: 89.50% 0.1 Estimated PHL: 0.1%
Sorghum 89.52 Crop left: 89.52% 0.2 Estimated PHL: 0.2%
Millet 88.99 Crop left: 88.99% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.71 Crop left: 81.71% 1.7 Estimated PHL: 1.7%
Wheat 88.50 Crop left: 88.50% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Sorghum 88.52 Crop left: 88.52% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 87.99 Crop left: 87.99% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 79.06 Crop left: 79.06% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Wheat 85.85 Crop left: 85.85% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 85.87 Crop left: 85.87% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 85.34 Crop left: 85.34% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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