In 2021, Benin's annual estimated postharvest losses were 272,773 tonnes for maize, 70,587 tonnes for rice, 13,876 tonnes for sorghum, 2,617 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 16.8% for maize and 10.4% for sorghum. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 137 million USD.
Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Benin, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Plateau, for rice in Alibori, for sorghum in Alibori, for millet in Alibori. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,138,701 people.
To view the list of studies used to estimate these losses, please see the References tab.
Top 4 crops with the highest production quantity in tonnes.
| Maize | Rice | Sorghum | Millet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production quantity in tonnes | 1,628,150 tonnes | 519,667 tonnes | 133,094 tonnes | 23,455 tonnes |
| Loss % | 16.8% | 13.6% | 10.4% | 11.2% |
| Losses in tonnes | 272,773 tonnes | 70,587 tonnes | 13,876 tonnes | 2,617 tonnes |
| Financial value | > 137 million USD | > 63 million USD | > 13 million USD | – |
| % of national agricultural GDP | – | – | – | – |
| # of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop | 1,138,701 people | 294,669 people | 57,096 people | 11,392 people |
See full postharvest losses data tables with loss percentage › | losses in tonnes › | losses in USD › | nutritional losses ›
See full value chain data table with estimated losses in percentage › | tonnes › | USD ›