Zimbabwe, Maize, 2015

Zimbabwe's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2015 was 177,726 tonnes or 18.9% which had an estimated value of more than 60 million US dollar, which corresponds to 3.7% of national agricultural GDP.

As for nutrition 616 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 732 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 Household-level storage, Harvesting/field drying, and then Further drying. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Mashonaland West.

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 1648859
2012 1165271
2013 969992
2014 1634738
2015 939456
2016 709046
2017 2352756
2018 1897932
2019 973865
2020 1104859
Produced 939,456 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses 18.9% / 177,726 tonnes / > 60 million USD
Production quantity Estimated postharvest losses
81.082 Production quantity: 939,456 tonnes 18.9 Estimated PHL: 177,726 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 94.13466 Remaining: 94.13466%
Est. PHL: 5.86534%
5.86534 Remaining: 94.13466%
Est. PHL: 5.86534%
Further drying 90.24196 Remaining: 90.24196%
Est. PHL: 3.8927%
3.8927 Remaining: 90.24196%
Est. PHL: 3.8927%
Threshing and Shelling 88.72157 Remaining: 88.72157%
Est. PHL: 1.52039%
1.52039 Remaining: 88.72157%
Est. PHL: 1.52039%
Transport from field 86.41541 Remaining: 86.41541%
Est. PHL: 2.30616%
2.30616 Remaining: 86.41541%
Est. PHL: 2.30616%
Household-level storage 78.97508 Remaining: 78.97508%
Est. PHL: 7.44033%
7.44033 Remaining: 78.97508%
Est. PHL: 7.44033%
Transport to market 77.5752 Remaining: 77.5752%
Est. PHL: 1.39988%
1.39988 Remaining: 77.5752%
Est. PHL: 1.39988%
Market storage 74.9252 Remaining: 74.9252%
Est. PHL: 2.65%
2.65 Remaining: 74.9252%
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

732,930

people, 4.3%


Children 1-3

1,713,607

children, 111.8%


Pregnant women 19-30

620,270

women, 784.7%


Men 31-50

549,112

men, 32.8%

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