Zimbabwe, Maize, 2011

Zimbabwe's estimated postharvest losses for maize in 2011 was 289,371 tonnes or 17.5% which had an estimated value of more than 83 million US dollar, which corresponds to 6.8% of national agricultural GDP.

As for nutrition 1,004 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 Mashonaland West.

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 1648859
2012 1165271
2013 969992
2014 1634738
2015 939456
2016 709046
2017 2352756
2018 1897932
2019 973865
2020 1104859
Produced 1,648,859 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses 17.5% / 289,371 tonnes / > 83 million USD
Production quantity Estimated postharvest losses
82.4502 Production quantity: 1,648,859 tonnes 17.5 Estimated PHL: 289,371 tonnes

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

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 93.89603 Remaining: 93.89603%
Est. PHL: 6.10397%
6.10397 Remaining: 93.89603%
Est. PHL: 6.10397%
Further drying 89.95732 Remaining: 89.95732%
Est. PHL: 3.93871%
3.93871 Remaining: 89.95732%
Est. PHL: 3.93871%
Threshing and Shelling 88.5228 Remaining: 88.5228%
Est. PHL: 1.43452%
1.43452 Remaining: 88.5228%
Est. PHL: 1.43452%
Transport from field 86.16923 Remaining: 86.16923%
Est. PHL: 2.35357%
2.35357 Remaining: 86.16923%
Est. PHL: 2.35357%
Household-level storage 80.97955 Remaining: 80.97955%
Est. PHL: 5.18968%
5.18968 Remaining: 80.97955%
Est. PHL: 5.18968%
Transport to market 79.49286 Remaining: 79.49286%
Est. PHL: 1.48669%
1.48669 Remaining: 79.49286%
Est. PHL: 1.48669%
Market storage 76.84286 Remaining: 76.84286%
Est. PHL: 2.65%
2.65 Remaining: 76.84286%
Est. PHL: 2.65%

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

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

1,193,345

people, 7.1%


Children 1-3

2,790,067

children, 182.0%


Pregnant women 19-30

1,009,914

women, 1,277.6%


Men 31-50

894,055

men, 53.4%

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