Uganda, All cereals, 2020

In 2020, Uganda's annual estimated postharvest losses were 382,418 tonnes for maize, 44,143 tonnes for millet, 43,524 tonnes for rice, 38,485 tonnes for sorghum. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.4% for maize and 12.3% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 89 million USD.

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 Eastern, for millet in Eastern, for rice in Western, for sorghum in Northern. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,699,975 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Uganda in 2020

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Millet Rice Sorghum
Production quantity in tonnes 2,337,473 tonnes 359,081 tonnes 326,344 tonnes 304,875 tonnes
Loss % 16.4% 12.3% 13.3% 12.6%
Losses in tonnes 382,418 tonnes 44,143 tonnes 43,524 tonnes 38,485 tonnes
Financial value > 89 million USD – > 35 million USD –
% of national agricultural GDP – – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 1,699,975 people 177,800 people 191,342 people 160,207 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%
Millet 96.50 Crop left: 96.50% 3.5 Estimated PHL: 3.5%
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%
Further drying
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 89.58 Crop left: 89.58% 4.0 Estimated PHL: 4.0%
Millet 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
Sorghum 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%
Millet 94.50 Crop left: 94.50% 2.0 Estimated PHL: 2.0%
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%
Winnowing
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Millet 92.00 Crop left: 92.00% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
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%
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%
Millet 89.50 Crop left: 89.50% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
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%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 83.34 Crop left: 83.34% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%
Millet 88.91 Crop left: 88.91% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
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%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.69 Crop left: 81.69% 1.7 Estimated PHL: 1.7%
Millet 87.91 Crop left: 87.91% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
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%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 79.04 Crop left: 79.04% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 85.26 Crop left: 85.26% 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%

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