Uganda, All cereals, 2019

In 2019, Uganda's annual estimated postharvest losses were 450,292 tonnes for maize, 22,266 tonnes for rice, 12,284 tonnes for sorghum, 8,911 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.3% for maize and 12.3% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 122 million USD, which corresponds to 1.5% 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 Uganda, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Central, for rice in Eastern, for sorghum in Eastern, for millet in Northern. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 2,001,697 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Uganda in 2019

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Rice Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 2,759,581 tonnes 166,597 tonnes 97,309 tonnes 72,661 tonnes
Loss % 16.3% 13.4% 12.6% 12.3%
Losses in tonnes 450,292 tonnes 22,266 tonnes 12,284 tonnes 8,911 tonnes
Financial value > 122 million USD > 20 million USD – –
% of national agricultural GDP 1.5% 0.3% – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 2,001,697 people 97,886 people 51,135 people 35,893 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%
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 92.00 Crop left: 92.00% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.88 Crop left: 85.88% 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 89.50 Crop left: 89.50% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 83.38 Crop left: 83.38% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Sorghum 88.33 Crop left: 88.33% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
Millet 88.91 Crop left: 88.91% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.73 Crop left: 81.73% 1.7 Estimated PHL: 1.7%
Rice 87.71 Crop left: 87.71% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Sorghum 87.33 Crop left: 87.33% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 87.91 Crop left: 87.91% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 79.08 Crop left: 79.08% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Rice 85.06 Crop left: 85.06% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 84.68 Crop left: 84.68% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 85.26 Crop left: 85.26% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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