Zimbabwe, All cereals, 2020

In 2020, Zimbabwe's annual estimated postharvest losses were 181,973 tonnes for maize, 12,889 tonnes for sorghum, 4,710 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.5% for maize and 9.6% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 46 million USD.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Zimbabwe, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Mashonaland West, for sorghum in Midlands, for millet in Manicaland. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 750,443 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Zimbabwe in 2020

Top 3 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 1,104,859 tonnes 103,682 tonnes 48,831 tonnes
Loss % 16.5% 12.4% 9.6%
Losses in tonnes 181,973 tonnes 12,889 tonnes 4,710 tonnes
Financial value > 46 million USD > 3 million USD –
% of national agricultural GDP – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 750,443 people 55,910 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 94.05 Crop left: 94.05% 5.9 Estimated PHL: 5.9%
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 90.14 Crop left: 90.14% 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 88.65 Crop left: 88.65% 1.5 Estimated PHL: 1.5%
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 93.34 Crop left: 93.34% 1.2 Estimated PHL: 1.2%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 86.33 Crop left: 86.33% 2.3 Estimated PHL: 2.3%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 90.84 Crop left: 90.84% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 82.40 Crop left: 82.40% 3.9 Estimated PHL: 3.9%
Sorghum 87.06 Crop left: 87.06% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%
Millet 90.28 Crop left: 90.28% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 80.98 Crop left: 80.98% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
Sorghum 86.06 Crop left: 86.06% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 89.28 Crop left: 89.28% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 78.33 Crop left: 78.33% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Sorghum 83.41 Crop left: 83.41% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 86.63 Crop left: 86.63% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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