Tanzania, All cereals, 2018

In 2018, Tanzania's annual estimated postharvest losses were 789,762 tonnes for maize, 121,530 tonnes for rice, 108,077 tonnes for sorghum, 31,897 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.9% for maize and 0.0% for barley. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 213 million USD.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Tanzania, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Mbeya, for rice in Morogoro, for sorghum in Dodoma, for millet in Dodoma. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 3,463,888 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Tanzania in 2018

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Rice Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 4,410,246 tonnes 1,037,567 tonnes 872,842 tonnes 296,376 tonnes
Loss % 17.9% 11.7% 12.4% 10.8%
Losses in tonnes 789,762 tonnes 121,530 tonnes 108,077 tonnes 31,897 tonnes
Financial value > 213 million USD > 106 million USD – –
% of national agricultural GDP – – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 3,463,888 people 527,138 people 443,908 people 126,761 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 92.34 Crop left: 92.34% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.90 Crop left: 85.90% 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 89.84 Crop left: 89.84% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 80.74 Crop left: 80.74% 5.2 Estimated PHL: 5.2%
Rice 87.74 Crop left: 87.74% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Sorghum 87.01 Crop left: 87.01% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 88.76 Crop left: 88.76% 1.1 Estimated PHL: 1.1%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 80.74 Crop left: 80.74% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.74 Crop left: 87.74% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.01 Crop left: 87.01% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 88.76 Crop left: 88.76% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 80.74 Crop left: 80.74% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Rice 87.74 Crop left: 87.74% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 87.01 Crop left: 87.01% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 88.76 Crop left: 88.76% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%

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