Zambia, All cereals, 2018

In 2018, Zambia's annual estimated postharvest losses were 411,007 tonnes for maize, 5,720 tonnes for wheat, 5,528 tonnes for rice, 3,837 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.2% for maize and 3.9% for barley. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 73 million USD, which corresponds to 8.3% of national agricultural GDP.

Within the value chain the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying for maize, at household-level storage for wheat, at harvesting/field drying for rice, at harvesting/field drying for millet. Within Zambia, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Eastern, for wheat in Central, for rice in Western, for millet in Northern. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,723,065 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Zambia in 2018

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Wheat Rice Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 2,394,908 tonnes 117,263 tonnes 43,129 tonnes 32,473 tonnes
Loss % 17.2% 4.9% 12.8% 11.8%
Losses in tonnes 411,007 tonnes 5,720 tonnes 5,528 tonnes 3,837 tonnes
Financial value > 73 million USD – – –
% of national agricultural GDP 8.3% – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 1,723,065 people 22,873 people 23,173 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 93.70 Crop left: 93.70% 6.3 Estimated PHL: 6.3%
Wheat 98.00 Crop left: 98.00% 2.0 Estimated PHL: 2.0%
Rice 95.60 Crop left: 95.60% 4.4 Estimated PHL: 4.4%
Millet 96.51 Crop left: 96.51% 3.5 Estimated PHL: 3.5%
Further drying
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 89.72 Crop left: 89.72% 4.0 Estimated PHL: 4.0%
Wheat 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 88.36 Crop left: 88.36% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
Wheat 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Rice 92.46 Crop left: 92.46% 3.1 Estimated PHL: 3.1%
Millet 94.51 Crop left: 94.51% 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
Wheat 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%
Millet 92.01 Crop left: 92.01% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.96 Crop left: 85.96% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Wheat 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Millet 89.51 Crop left: 89.51% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.47 Crop left: 81.47% 4.5 Estimated PHL: 4.5%
Wheat 92.25 Crop left: 92.25% 5.8 Estimated PHL: 5.8%
Rice 87.98 Crop left: 87.98% 0.7 Estimated PHL: 0.7%
Millet 88.23 Crop left: 88.23% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 79.86 Crop left: 79.86% 1.6 Estimated PHL: 1.6%
Wheat 91.25 Crop left: 91.25% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Rice 86.98 Crop left: 86.98% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 87.23 Crop left: 87.23% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 77.21 Crop left: 77.21% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Wheat 89.95 Crop left: 89.95% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Rice 84.33 Crop left: 84.33% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 84.60 Crop left: 84.60% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%

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