Nigeria, All cereals, 2018

In 2018, Nigeria's annual estimated postharvest losses were 1,374,693 tonnes for maize, 692,129 tonnes for sorghum, 574,098 tonnes for rice, 316,127 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.4% for maize and 9.5% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for rice: over 549 million USD, which corresponds to 0.7% of national agricultural GDP.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Nigeria, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Kaduna, for sorghum in Kano, for rice in Kaduna, for millet in Kaduna. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 5,771,644 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Nigeria in 2018

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Sorghum Rice Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 7,886,259 tonnes 5,620,373 tonnes 4,900,249 tonnes 3,312,751 tonnes
Loss % 17.4% 12.3% 11.7% 9.5%
Losses in tonnes 1,374,693 tonnes 692,129 tonnes 574,098 tonnes 316,127 tonnes
Financial value > 518 million USD > 334 million USD > 549 million USD > 166 million USD
% of national agricultural GDP 0.6% 0.4% 0.7% 0.2%
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 5,771,644 people 2,864,270 people 2,410,350 people 1,384,302 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 93.58 Crop left: 93.58% 6.4 Estimated PHL: 6.4%
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 89.58 Crop left: 89.58% 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 88.26 Crop left: 88.26% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
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 93.39 Crop left: 93.39% 1.1 Estimated PHL: 1.1%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.89 Crop left: 85.89% 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 90.89 Crop left: 90.89% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.29 Crop left: 81.29% 4.6 Estimated PHL: 4.6%
Sorghum 87.09 Crop left: 87.09% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%
Rice 87.73 Crop left: 87.73% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 90.09 Crop left: 90.09% 0.8 Estimated PHL: 0.8%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.29 Crop left: 81.29% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.09 Crop left: 87.09% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.73 Crop left: 87.73% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 90.09 Crop left: 90.09% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.29 Crop left: 81.29% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.09 Crop left: 87.09% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.73 Crop left: 87.73% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 90.09 Crop left: 90.09% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%

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