Zambia, Wheat, 2017

Zambia's estimated postharvest losses for wheat in 2017 was 10,010 tonnes or 5.1%.

As for nutrition 33 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 40 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 Household-level storage, Harvesting/field drying, and then Market storage. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Central.

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 238432
2012 254618
2013 276384
2014 204048
2015 215325
2016 162334
2017 196514
2018 117263
2019 168090
2020 168090
Produced 196,514 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses 5.1% / 10,010 tonnes
Production quantity Estimated postharvest losses
94.9064 Production quantity: 196,514 tonnes 5.1 Estimated PHL: 10,010 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 98 Remaining: 98%
Est. PHL: 2% 		2 Remaining: 98%
Est. PHL: 2%
Household-level storage 92.25 Remaining: 92.25%
Est. PHL: 5.75% 		5.75 Remaining: 92.25%
Est. PHL: 5.75%
Transport to market 91.25 Remaining: 91.25%
Est. PHL: 1% 		1 Remaining: 91.25%
Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage 89.95 Remaining: 89.95%
Est. PHL: 1.3% 		1.3 Remaining: 89.95%
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 wheat that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

40,028

people, 0.2%

Children 1-3

92,061

children, 5.2%

Pregnant women 19-30

33,323

women, 30.2%

Men 31-50

29,500

men, 1.8%

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