Malawi, All cereals, 2021

In 2021, Malawi's annual estimated postharvest losses were 783,419 tonnes for maize, 20,711 tonnes for rice, 12,662 tonnes for sorghum, 4,804 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.1% for maize and 10.7% for sorghum. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 142 million USD.

Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Malawi, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Central Region, for rice in Southern Region, for sorghum in Southern Region, for millet in Southern Region. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 3,266,036 people.

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

APHLIS postharvest loss estimates in Malawi in 2021

Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.

Maize Rice Sorghum Millet
Production quantity in tonnes 4,581,524 tonnes 155,433 tonnes 118,351 tonnes 42,289 tonnes
Loss % 17.1% 13.3% 10.7% 11.4%
Losses in tonnes 783,419 tonnes 20,711 tonnes 12,662 tonnes 4,804 tonnes
Financial value > 142 million USD > 22 million USD – –
% of national agricultural GDP – – – –
# of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop 3,266,036 people 86,344 people 55,525 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 93.68 Crop left: 93.68% 6.3 Estimated PHL: 6.3%
Rice 95.60 Crop left: 95.60% 4.4 Estimated PHL: 4.4%
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 89.70 Crop left: 89.70% 4.0 Estimated PHL: 4.0%
Rice 0 No data for this crop 0 No data for this crop
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 88.34 Crop left: 88.34% 1.4 Estimated PHL: 1.4%
Rice 92.46 Crop left: 92.46% 3.1 Estimated PHL: 3.1%
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
Rice 89.96 Crop left: 89.96% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Sorghum 91.85 Crop left: 91.85% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 92.00 Crop left: 92.00% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Transport from field
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 85.96 Crop left: 85.96% 2.4 Estimated PHL: 2.4%
Rice 88.71 Crop left: 88.71% 1.3 Estimated PHL: 1.3%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 2.2 Estimated PHL: 2.2%
Millet 89.50 Crop left: 89.50% 2.5 Estimated PHL: 2.5%
Household-level storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 81.64 Crop left: 81.64% 4.3 Estimated PHL: 4.3%
Rice 88.58 Crop left: 88.58% 0.1 Estimated PHL: 0.1%
Sorghum 89.68 Crop left: 89.68% 0.0 Estimated PHL: 0.0%
Millet 88.88 Crop left: 88.88% 0.6 Estimated PHL: 0.6%
Transport to market
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 79.99 Crop left: 79.99% 1.6 Estimated PHL: 1.6%
Rice 87.58 Crop left: 87.58% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Sorghum 88.68 Crop left: 88.68% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Millet 87.88 Crop left: 87.88% 1.0 Estimated PHL: 1.0%
Market storage
Crop Estimated % of crop left Estimated % of crop lost
Maize 77.34 Crop left: 77.34% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Rice 84.93 Crop left: 84.93% 2.6 Estimated PHL: 2.6%
Sorghum 86.03 Crop left: 86.03% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%
Millet 85.23 Crop left: 85.23% 2.7 Estimated PHL: 2.7%

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