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Measuring postharvest losses at the farm level in Malawi

Author

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  • Kate Ambler
  • Alan de Brauw
  • Susan Godlonton

Abstract

This article measures farm†level postharvest losses for maize, soya and groundnuts among 1,200 households in Malawi. Farmers answered a detailed questionnaire designed to learn about losses during harvest and transport, processing and storage and which measures both complete losses and crop damage. The findings indicate that fewer than half of households report suffering losses conditional on growing each crop. Conditional on losses occurring, the loss averages between 5 and 12 per cent of the farmer's total harvest. Compared to nationally representative data that measure losses using a single survey question, this study documents a far greater percentage of farmers experiencing losses. We find that losses are concentrated in harvest and processing activities for groundnuts and maize; for soya, they are highest during processing. Existing interventions have primarily targeted storage activities; however, these results suggest that targeting other activities may be worthwhile.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Ambler & Alan de Brauw & Susan Godlonton, 2018. "Measuring postharvest losses at the farm level in Malawi," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(1), pages 139-160, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:62:y:2018:i:1:p:139-160
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8489.12237
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    Cited by:

    1. Marshall Burke & Lauren Falcao Bergquist & Edward Miguel, 2019. "Sell Low and Buy High: Arbitrage and Local Price Effects in Kenyan Markets," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(2), pages 785-842.
    2. Ambler, Kate & Godlonton, Susan & Recalde, María P., 2021. "Follow the leader? A field experiment on social influence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 1280-1297.
    3. Freudenreich, Hanna & Musshoff, Oliver, 2022. "Experience of losses and aversion to uncertainty - experimental evidence from farmers in Mexico," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Yan, Bo & Liu, Gaodi & Zhenyu, Zhang & Chang, Yan, . "Optimal financing and operation strategy of fresh agricultural supply chain," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(3).
    5. Negede, Betelhem M. & Voors, Maarten & De Groote, Hugo & Minten, Bart, 2021. "Maize Price Seasonality in Ethiopia: Does Access to Improved Grain Storage Technology Matter for Farmers’ Welfare?," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315240, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Abdelrahman Ali & Chunping Xia & Moustafa Ismaiel & N’Banan Ouattara & Irfan Mahmood & Dessalegn Anshiso, 2021. "Analysis of determinants to mitigate food losses and waste in the developing countries: empirical evidence from Egypt," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 26(6), pages 1-26, August.
    7. Godlonton, Susan & Hernandez, Manuel A. & Paz, Cynthia, 2021. "Can survey design reduce anchoring bias in recall data? Evidence from Malawi," IFPRI discussion papers 2055, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. repec:lic:licosd:42020 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Delavallade, Clara & Godlonton, Susan, 2023. "Locking crops to unlock investment: Experimental evidence on warrantage in Burkina Faso," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    10. Mequanint B. Melesse & Marrit Berg & Christophe Béné & Alan Brauw & Inge D. Brouwer, 2020. "Metrics to analyze and improve diets through food Systems in low and Middle Income Countries," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(5), pages 1085-1105, October.
    11. Hasnain Abbas & Lindu Zhao & Xi Gong & Mengyin Jiang & Tahira Faiz, 2024. "Environmental and economic influences of postharvest losses across the fish-food products supply chain in the developing regions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(11), pages 28335-28366, November.
    12. Luo, Na & Olsen, Tava & Liu, Yanping & Zhang, Abraham, 2022. "Reducing food loss and waste in supply chain operations," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    13. Curzi, Daniele & Nota, Paolo & Di Falco, Salvatore, 2022. "Post-Harvest Losses and Climate Conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321219, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    14. Tabitha Nindi & Jacob Ricker‐Gilbert & Jonathan Bauchet, 2024. "Incentive mechanisms to exploit intraseasonal price arbitrage opportunities for smallholder farmers: Experimental evidence from Malawi," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 330-353, January.
    15. Ambler, Kate & de Brauw, Alan & Godlonton, Susan, 2026. "Transfers, information and management advice: Direct effects and complementarities in Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    16. Daniel Kpienbaareh & Kamaldeen Mohammed & Isaac Luginaah & Jinfei Wang & Rachel Bezner Kerr & Esther Lupafya & Laifolo Dakishoni, 2022. "Estimating Groundnut Yield in Smallholder Agriculture Systems Using PlanetScope Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, October.
    17. Sagege, Collince Otieno & Maina, Stephen Wambugu & Obwoyere, Gilbert O., 2025. "Effectiveness of Training Farmers on Sugarcane Gleaning during Loading in Reducing Post-Harvest Loss among Smallholder Farmers in Awendo Sub-County, Kenya," Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, vol. 43(5).
    18. Bo Yan & Gaodi Liu & Zhenyu Zhang & Chang Yan, 2020. "Optimal financing and operation strategy of fresh agricultural supply chain," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(3), pages 776-794, July.
    19. Brander, Michael & Abro, Zewdu & Kassie, Menale & Mittmann, Wolfgang & Stiefel, Lukas & Huss, Matthias, 2025. "Small policy changes can accelerate the adoption of improved on-farm storage among smallholder farmers," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    20. Yao, Jia & Yu, Lan & An, Shi, 2024. "Agricultural product harvest equilibrium with transportation bottleneck and random disasters," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    21. Delgado, Luciana & Schuster, Monica & Torero, Maximo, 2021. "Quantity and quality food losses across the value Chain: A Comparative analysis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    22. Luciana Delgado & Monica Schuster & Maximo Torero, 2021. "On the origins of food loss," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(2), pages 750-780, June.

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