Zambia, Sorghum, 2009

Zambia's estimated postharvest losses for sorghum in 2009 was 2,923 tonnes or 13.2%.

As for nutrition 10 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 12 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 Threshing and Shelling. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Southern.

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	18794
2012	15756
2013	15329
2014	11583
2015	8124
2016	14212
2017	17691
2018	13590
2019	19665
2020	19665

Produced	22,188 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	13.2% / 2,923 tonnes

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
86.8265 Production quantity: 22,188 tonnes	13.2 Estimated PHL: 2,923 tonnes

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

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	95.49543 Remaining: 95.49543% Est. PHL: 4.50457%	4.50457 Remaining: 95.49543% Est. PHL: 4.50457%
Threshing and Shelling	91.89543 Remaining: 91.89543% Est. PHL: 3.6%	3.6 Remaining: 91.89543% Est. PHL: 3.6%
Winnowing	91.89543 Remaining: 91.89543% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 91.89543% Est. PHL: 0%
Transport from field	89.72876 Remaining: 89.72876% Est. PHL: 2.16667%	2.16667 Remaining: 89.72876% Est. PHL: 2.16667%
Household-level storage	85.95754 Remaining: 85.95754% Est. PHL: 3.77122%	3.77122 Remaining: 85.95754% Est. PHL: 3.77122%
Transport to market	84.95754 Remaining: 84.95754% Est. PHL: 1%	1 Remaining: 84.95754% Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage	82.401 Remaining: 82.401% Est. PHL: 2.55654%	2.55654 Remaining: 82.401% Est. PHL: 2.55654%

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

Nutrition

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

Total number

12,889

people, 0.1%

Children 1-3

29,644

children, 1.7%

Pregnant women 19-30

10,730

women, 9.7%

Men 31-50

9,499

men, 0.6%

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