Zimbabwe, Sorghum, 2020

Zimbabwe's estimated postharvest losses for sorghum in 2020 was 12,889 tonnes or 12.4% which had an estimated value of more than 3 million US dollar.

As for nutrition 47 billion kcal were lost, which is the equivalent of more than 55 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 Harvesting/field drying, Threshing and Shelling, and then Market storage. Highest estimated postharvest maize losses in tonnes were estimated to occur in Midlands.

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	94789
2012	64793
2013	69362
2014	133212
2015	39746
2016	36305
2017	182012
2018	77514
2019	40215
2020	103682

Produced	103,682 tonnes
Estimated postharvest losses	12.4% / 12,889 tonnes / > 3 million USD

Production quantity	Estimated postharvest losses
87.5689 Production quantity: 103,682 tonnes	12.4 Estimated PHL: 12,889 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	95.45 Remaining: 95.45% Est. PHL: 4.55%	4.55 Remaining: 95.45% Est. PHL: 4.55%
Threshing and Shelling	91.85 Remaining: 91.85% Est. PHL: 3.6%	3.6 Remaining: 91.85% Est. PHL: 3.6%
Winnowing	91.85 Remaining: 91.85% Est. PHL: 0%	0 Remaining: 91.85% Est. PHL: 0%
Transport from field	89.68333 Remaining: 89.68333% Est. PHL: 2.16667%	2.16667 Remaining: 89.68333% Est. PHL: 2.16667%
Household-level storage	87.06278 Remaining: 87.06278% Est. PHL: 2.62055%	2.62055 Remaining: 87.06278% Est. PHL: 2.62055%
Transport to market	86.06278 Remaining: 86.06278% Est. PHL: 1%	1 Remaining: 86.06278% Est. PHL: 1%
Market storage	83.41278 Remaining: 83.41278% Est. PHL: 2.65%	2.65 Remaining: 83.41278% 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 sorghum that was lost postharvest, and what % of the focal group of the population this number equates to.

Total number

55,910

people, 0.3%

Children 1-3

130,718

children, 8.5%

Pregnant women 19-30

47,316

women, 59.9%

Men 31-50

41,887

men, 2.5%

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