South Africa, Sorghum, 2008

South Africa's estimated postharvest losses for sorghum in 2008 was 33,405 tonnes or 13.1%.

As for nutrition 121 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 136 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 Harvesting/field drying, Market storage, and then Transport to market. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Free State.

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	155270
2012	135770
2013	147470
2014	215887
2015	215887
2016	215887
2017	215887
2018	215887
2019	215887
2020	215887

Produced	255,270 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	13.1% / 33,405 tonnes

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
86.9139 Production quantity: 255,270 tonnes	13.1 Estimated PHL: 33,405 tonnes

See full postharvest losses data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes ›

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	88.9481 Remaining: 88.9481% Est. PHL: 11.0519%	11.0519 Remaining: 88.9481% Est. PHL: 11.0519%
Household-level storage	88.9481 Remaining: 88.9481% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 88.9481% Est. PHL: 0%
Transport to market	87.9481 Remaining: 87.9481% Est. PHL: 1%	1 Remaining: 87.9481% Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage	86.6481 Remaining: 86.6481% Est. PHL: 1.3%	1.3 Remaining: 86.6481% Est. PHL: 1.3%

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

Nutrition

Number of people whose annual dietary requirements (in terms of energy, kcal) could have been met by consuming the sorghum that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

136,417

people, 0.2%

Children 1-3

338,792

children, 9.9%

Pregnant women 19-30

122,632

women, 60.5%

Men 31-50

108,563

men, 1.4%

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