Nigeria, All cereals, 2021

In 2021, Nigeria's annual estimated postharvest losses were 2,234,843 tonnes for maize, 974,257 tonnes for rice, 828,876 tonnes for sorghum, 188,573 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.5% for maize and 9.8% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 1 billion USD.

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 rice in Niger, for sorghum in Kano, for millet in Yobe. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 9,382,979 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Nigeria in 2021

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Rice Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 12,744,450 tonnes 8,341,970 tonnes 6,725,500 tonnes 1,926,950 tonnes
Loss % 17.5% 11.7% 12.3% 9.8%
Losses in tonnes 2,234,843 tonnes 974,257 tonnes 828,876 tonnes 188,573 tonnes
Financial value > 1 billion USD – > 507 million USD > 118 million USD
% of national agricultural GDP – – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 9,382,979 people 4,090,415 people 3,430,177 people 825,752 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%
Rice 95.60 Crop left: 95.60% 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%
Rice 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%
Rice 92.46 Crop left: 92.46% 3.1 Estimated PHL: 3.1%
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
Rice 89.96 Crop left: 89.96% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 93.18 Crop left: 93.18% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
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%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 90.68 Crop left: 90.68% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.17 Crop left: 81.17% 4.7 Estimated PHL: 4.7%
Rice 87.78 Crop left: 87.78% 0.9 Estimated PHL: 0.9%
Sorghum 87.08 Crop left: 87.08% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%
Millet 89.83 Crop left: 89.83% 0.9 Estimated PHL: 0.9%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.17 Crop left: 81.17% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.78 Crop left: 87.78% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.08 Crop left: 87.08% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 89.83 Crop left: 89.83% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.17 Crop left: 81.17% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.78 Crop left: 87.78% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.08 Crop left: 87.08% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 89.83 Crop left: 89.83% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%

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