Malawi, All cereals, 2019

In 2019, Malawi's annual estimated postharvest losses were 647,796 tonnes for maize, 14,261 tonnes for sorghum, 17,744 tonnes for rice, 5,077 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 19.1% for maize and 10.7% for sorghum. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 175 million USD, which corresponds to 9.0% of national agricultural GDP.

Within the value chain the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at household-level storage for maize, at harvesting/field drying for sorghum, at harvesting/field drying for rice, at harvesting/field drying for millet. Within Malawi, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Central Region, for sorghum in Southern Region, for rice in Southern Region, for millet in Southern Region. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 2,700,630 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Malawi in 2019

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Sorghum Rice Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 3,391,924 tonnes 133,212 tonnes 132,728 tonnes 44,718 tonnes
Loss % 19.1% 10.7% 13.4% 11.4%
Losses in tonnes 647,796 tonnes 14,261 tonnes 17,744 tonnes 5,077 tonnes
Financial value > 175 million USD – > 22 million USD –
% of national agricultural GDP 9.0% – 1.1% –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 2,700,630 people 62,538 people 73,975 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 93.68 Crop left: 93.68% 6.3 Estimated PHL: 6.3%
Sorghum 95.45 Crop left: 95.45% 4.6 Estimated PHL: 4.6%
Rice 95.60 Crop left: 95.60% 4.4 Estimated PHL: 4.4%
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 89.70 Crop left: 89.70% 4.0 Estimated PHL: 4.0%
Sorghum 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Rice 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 88.35 Crop left: 88.35% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 3.6 Estimated PHL: 3.6%
Rice 92.46 Crop left: 92.46% 3.1 Estimated PHL: 3.1%
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
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 89.96 Crop left: 89.96% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
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 85.97 Crop left: 85.97% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
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 77.56 Crop left: 77.56% 8.4 Estimated PHL: 8.4%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 88.60 Crop left: 88.60% 0.1 Estimated PHL: 0.1%
Millet 88.89 Crop left: 88.89% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 75.92 Crop left: 75.92% 1.6 Estimated PHL: 1.6%
Sorghum 88.68 Crop left: 88.68% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Rice 87.60 Crop left: 87.60% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 87.89 Crop left: 87.89% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 73.27 Crop left: 73.27% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 86.03 Crop left: 86.03% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Rice 84.95 Crop left: 84.95% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 85.24 Crop left: 85.24% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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