In 2021, Nigeria's annual estimated postharvest losses were 2,234,843 tonnes for maize, 974,257 tonnes for rice, 828,876 tonnes for sorghum, 188,573 tonnes for millet. The highest and lowest estimated postharvest loss percentages are 17.5% for maize and 9.8% for millet. The costliest estimated postharvest losses in USD are for maize: over 1 billion USD.
Within the value chain, for all crops the majority of loss is estimated to be happening at harvesting/field drying. Within Nigeria, the highest postharvest losses in tonnes occur for maize in Kaduna, for rice in Niger, for sorghum in Kano, for millet in Yobe. Regarding the nutritional losses, the estimated maize grain lost postharvest could have met the annual energy (kcal) dietary requirements of 9,382,979 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 | 12,744,450 tonnes | 8,341,970 tonnes | 6,725,500 tonnes | 1,926,950 tonnes |
| Loss % | 17.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% | 9.8% |
| Losses in tonnes | 2,234,843 tonnes | 974,257 tonnes | 828,876 tonnes | 188,573 tonnes |
| Financial value | > 1 billion USD | – | > 507 million USD | > 118 million USD |
| % of national agricultural GDP | – | – | – | – |
| # of people whose annual energy (kcal) requirements could have been met by the lost crop | 9,382,979 people | 4,090,415 people | 3,430,177 people | 825,752 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 ›