Malawi, Maize, 2022

Malawi's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2022 was 632,860 tonnes or 17.0%.

As for nutrition 2,196 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 2 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, Household-level storage, and then Further drying. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Central Region.

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	3895181
2012	3623924
2013	3641440
2014	3978123
2015	2776277
2016	2370493
2017	3464139
2018	2697959
2019	3391924
2020	3785713

Produced	3,716,479 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	17.0% / 632,860 tonnes

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
82.9715 Production quantity: 3,716,479 tonnes	17.0 Estimated PHL: 632,860 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	100 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%
Harvesting/field drying	93.6917 Remaining: 93.6917% Est. PHL: 6.3083%	6.3083 Remaining: 93.6917% Est. PHL: 6.3083%
Further drying	89.71341 Remaining: 89.71341% Est. PHL: 3.97829%	3.97829 Remaining: 89.71341% Est. PHL: 3.97829%
Threshing and Shelling	88.35283 Remaining: 88.35283% Est. PHL: 1.36058%	1.36058 Remaining: 88.35283% Est. PHL: 1.36058%
Transport from field	85.97579 Remaining: 85.97579% Est. PHL: 2.37704%	2.37704 Remaining: 85.97579% Est. PHL: 2.37704%
Household-level storage	81.77304 Remaining: 81.77304% Est. PHL: 4.20275%	4.20275 Remaining: 81.77304% Est. PHL: 4.20275%
Transport to market	80.12685 Remaining: 80.12685% Est. PHL: 1.64619%	1.64619 Remaining: 80.12685% Est. PHL: 1.64619%
Market storage	77.47685 Remaining: 77.47685% Est. PHL: 2.65%	2.65 Remaining: 77.47685% 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.

Total number

2,638,361

people, 13.8%

Children 1-3

6,101,929

children, 334.2%

Pregnant women 19-30

2,208,701

women, 2,375.3%

Men 31-50

1,955,314

men, 113.6%

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