Zimbabwe, All cereals, 2018

In 2018, Zimbabwe's annual estimated postharvest losses were 371,117 tonnes for maize, 9,432 tonnes for sorghum, 5,488 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 19.6% for maize and 9.5% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 105 million USD, which corresponds to 5.2% of national agricultural GDP.

Within the value chain the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at household-level storage for maize, at harvesting/field drying for sorghum, at harvesting/field drying for millet. Within Zimbabwe, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Mashonaland West, for sorghum in Masvingo, for millet in Manicaland. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,530,459 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Zimbabwe in 2018

Top 3 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 1,897,932 tonnes 77,514 tonnes 57,929 tonnes
Loss % 19.6% 12.2% 9.5%
Losses in tonnes 371,117 tonnes 9,432 tonnes 5,488 tonnes
Financial value > 105 million USD – –
% of national agricultural GDP 5.2% – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 1,530,459 people 40,917 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 93.85 Crop left: 93.85% 6.1 Estimated PHL: 6.1%
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 89.91 Crop left: 89.91% 3.9 Estimated PHL: 3.9%
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 88.49 Crop left: 88.49% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
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
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 93.49 Crop left: 93.49% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 86.13 Crop left: 86.13% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 90.99 Crop left: 90.99% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 78.28 Crop left: 78.28% 7.8 Estimated PHL: 7.8%
Sorghum 87.39 Crop left: 87.39% 2.3 Estimated PHL: 2.3%
Millet 90.47 Crop left: 90.47% 0.5 Estimated PHL: 0.5%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 76.77 Crop left: 76.77% 1.5 Estimated PHL: 1.5%
Sorghum 86.39 Crop left: 86.39% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 89.47 Crop left: 89.47% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 74.12 Crop left: 74.12% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 83.74 Crop left: 83.74% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 86.82 Crop left: 86.82% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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