In 2021, Ghana's annual estimated postharvest losses were 276,568 tonnes for maize, 50,826 tonnes for rice, 35,347 tonnes for sorghum, 19,018 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 18.0% for maize and 11.2% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 134 million USD.
Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Ghana, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Brong Ahafo, for rice in Northern, for sorghum in Upper West, for millet in Northern. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 1,129,870 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 | 1,539,485 tonnes | 428,075 tonnes | 284,935 tonnes | 170,475 tonnes |
| Loss % | 18.0% | 11.9% | 12.4% | 11.2% |
| Losses in tonnes | 276,568 tonnes | 50,826 tonnes | 35,347 tonnes | 19,018 tonnes |
| Financial value | > 134 million USD | > 35 million USD | > 14 million USD | > 9 million USD |
| % of national agricultural GDP | – | – | – | – |
| # of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop | 1,129,870 people | 207,640 people | 142,336 people | 81,033 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 ›