Zambia, Sorghum, 2019

Zambia's estimated postharvest losses for sorghum in 2019 was 2,542 tonnes or 12.9%.

As for nutrition 9 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 11 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, Household-level storage, and then Threshing and Shelling. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Southern.

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	18794
2012	15756
2013	15329
2014	11583
2015	8124
2016	14212
2017	17691
2018	13590
2019	19665
2020	19665

Produced	19,665 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	12.9% / 2,542 tonnes

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
87.0739 Production quantity: 19,665 tonnes	12.9 Estimated PHL: 2,542 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	95.556 Remaining: 95.556% Est. PHL: 4.444%	4.444 Remaining: 95.556% Est. PHL: 4.444%
Threshing and Shelling	91.956 Remaining: 91.956% Est. PHL: 3.6%	3.6 Remaining: 91.956% Est. PHL: 3.6%
Winnowing	91.956 Remaining: 91.956% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 91.956% Est. PHL: 0%
Transport from field	89.78933 Remaining: 89.78933% Est. PHL: 2.16667%	2.16667 Remaining: 89.78933% Est. PHL: 2.16667%
Household-level storage	86.0387 Remaining: 86.0387% Est. PHL: 3.75063%	3.75063 Remaining: 86.0387% Est. PHL: 3.75063%
Transport to market	85.0387 Remaining: 85.0387% Est. PHL: 1%	1 Remaining: 85.0387% Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage	82.39814 Remaining: 82.39814% Est. PHL: 2.64056%	2.64056 Remaining: 82.39814% Est. PHL: 2.64056%

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

11,209

people, 0.1%

Children 1-3

25,780

children, 1.5%

Pregnant women 19-30

9,332

women, 8.4%

Men 31-50

8,261

men, 0.5%

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