Zambia, Maize, 2022

Zambia's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2022 was 359,519 tonnes or 16.9%.

As for nutrition 1,247 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 1 million 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, Household-level storage, and then Further drying. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Eastern.

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 3020380
2012 2852688
2013 2532800
2014 3350672
2015 2618220
2016 2873053
2017 3606550
2018 2394908
2019 2122644
2020 2122644
Produced 2,122,644 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses 16.9% / 359,519 tonnes
Production quantity Estimated postharvest losses
83.0627 Production quantity: 2,122,644 tonnes 16.9 Estimated PHL: 359,519 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 93.86039 Remaining: 93.86039%
Est. PHL: 6.13961% 		6.13961 Remaining: 93.86039%
Est. PHL: 6.13961%
Further drying 89.91479 Remaining: 89.91479%
Est. PHL: 3.9456% 		3.9456 Remaining: 89.91479%
Est. PHL: 3.9456%
Threshing and Shelling 88.49314 Remaining: 88.49314%
Est. PHL: 1.42165% 		1.42165 Remaining: 88.49314%
Est. PHL: 1.42165%
Transport from field 86.13408 Remaining: 86.13408%
Est. PHL: 2.35906% 		2.35906 Remaining: 86.13408%
Est. PHL: 2.35906%
Household-level storage 81.74021 Remaining: 81.74021%
Est. PHL: 4.39387% 		4.39387 Remaining: 81.74021%
Est. PHL: 4.39387%
Transport to market 80.19286 Remaining: 80.19286%
Est. PHL: 1.54735% 		1.54735 Remaining: 80.19286%
Est. PHL: 1.54735%
Market storage 77.54286 Remaining: 77.54286%
Est. PHL: 2.65% 		2.65 Remaining: 77.54286%
Est. PHL: 2.65%

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 maize that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

1,507,212

people, 8.6%

Children 1-3

3,466,424

children, 195.8%

Pregnant women 19-30

1,254,733

women, 1,135.7%

Men 31-50

1,110,788

men, 69.3%

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