Zambia, Maize, 2007

Zambia's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2007 was 225,994 tonnes or 16.6% which had an estimated value of more than 46 million US dollar, which corresponds to 2.7% of national agricultural GDP.

As for nutrition 784 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 947 thousand people, in terms of annual nutritional dietary energy requirements. In the value chain, the majority of the loss is estimated to be happening at Harvesting/field drying, Household-level storage, and then Further drying. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Central.

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

Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses

Production quantity (tonnes)
Estimated postharvest losses (tonnes)

2011–2021
2011	3020380
2012	2852688
2013	2532800
2014	3350672
2015	2618220
2016	2873053
2017	3606550
2018	2394908
2019	2122644
2020	2122644

Produced	1,361,036 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	16.6% / 225,994 tonnes / > 46 million USD

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
83.3954 Production quantity: 1,361,036 tonnes	16.6 Estimated PHL: 225,994 tonnes

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

Value chain

Production quantity and estimated postharvest losses in % per value chain step. Please note that once loss has occurred at harvesting, the percentage loss in the next stage is a percentage of what remained, not of the original amount.

Estimated % of crop left
Estimated % of crop lost

	Amount remaining(%)	Estimated postharvest loss(%)
Production	100 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 100% Est. PHL: 0%
Harvesting/field drying	94.13729 Remaining: 94.13729% Est. PHL: 5.86271%	5.86271 Remaining: 94.13729% Est. PHL: 5.86271%
Further drying	90.24509 Remaining: 90.24509% Est. PHL: 3.8922%	3.8922 Remaining: 90.24509% Est. PHL: 3.8922%
Threshing and Shelling	88.72376 Remaining: 88.72376% Est. PHL: 1.52133%	1.52133 Remaining: 88.72376% Est. PHL: 1.52133%
Transport from field	86.42077 Remaining: 86.42077% Est. PHL: 2.30299%	2.30299 Remaining: 86.42077% Est. PHL: 2.30299%
Household-level storage	82.09321 Remaining: 82.09321% Est. PHL: 4.32756%	4.32756 Remaining: 82.09321% Est. PHL: 4.32756%
Transport to market	80.67316 Remaining: 80.67316% Est. PHL: 1.42005%	1.42005 Remaining: 80.67316% Est. PHL: 1.42005%
Market storage	78.02316 Remaining: 78.02316% Est. PHL: 2.65%	2.65 Remaining: 78.02316% Est. PHL: 2.65%

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

Nutrition

Number of people whose annual dietary requirements (in terms of energy, kcal) could have been met by consuming the maize that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

947,436

people, 5.4%

Children 1-3

2,179,000

children, 123.1%

Pregnant women 19-30

788,727

women, 713.9%

Men 31-50

698,243

men, 43.5%

See full nutritional impact data for Children 1–3 › | Pregnant women 19–30 › | Men 31–50 ›