In 2020, Nigeria's annual estimated postharvest losses were 2,174,861 tonnes for maize, 954,142 tonnes for rice, 812,218 tonnes for sorghum, 186,345 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.5% for maize and 9.8% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for rice: over 970 million USD.
Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Nigeria, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Kaduna, for rice in Niger, for sorghum in Kano, for millet in Yobe. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 9,131,146 people.
To view the list of studies used to estimate these losses, please see the References tab.
Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.
| Maize | Rice | Sorghum | Millet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production quantity in tonnes | 12,403,300 tonnes | 8,171,770 tonnes | 6,590,600 tonnes | 1,905,430 tonnes |
| Loss % | 17.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% | 9.8% |
| Losses in tonnes | 2,174,861 tonnes | 954,142 tonnes | 812,218 tonnes | 186,345 tonnes |
| Financial value | > 918 million USD | > 970 million USD | > 400 million USD | > 94 million USD |
| % of national agricultural GDP | – | – | – | – |
| # of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop | 9,131,146 people | 4,005,961 people | 3,361,239 people | 815,994 people |
See full postharvest losses data tables with loss percentage › | losses in tonnes › | losses in USD › | nutritional losses ›
See full value chain data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes › | USD ›