Assessment of post-harvest loss in maize value chain in Ward 5 (Chingwere), Mhondoro-Ngezi district in Mashonaland West province

Abstract

Maize is the cornerstone of food security in Zimbabwe, supplying 60 to 65% of caloric intake for average households. However, smallholder farmers, who produce 70 to 80% of national output, consistently suffer substantial post-harvest losses (PHL) that undermine labour investment, food availability, and income stability, yet ward-specific, empirically quantified data to inform context-appropriate interventions remain scarce. This study assessed the extent, causes, and impacts of PHL in the maize value chain among smallholder farmers in Ward 5 (Chingwere), Mhondoro-Ngezi District. Employing a mixed-methods case study design, the research administered a structured household survey to 128 farmers, conducted 15 key informant interviews, and performed grain quality assessments on a sub-sample of 40 households. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework and Diffusion of Innovations Theory, quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Total PHL averaged 35% of harvested grain, with storage the greatest hotspot (19%), followed by drying (6%) and shelling (4%). Traditional granaries (dura) caused 23% storage losses, whereas hermetic bags reduced losses to 5%. The average household lost 567 kg of maize per season (USD 160 to 199), translating to ward-level annual losses of USD 58,720 to USD 73,033. Only 19% of households achieved Grade A quality, with Grade C grain suffering 47% price discounts, and 33% of sampled grain had aflatoxin contamination exceeding safe limits, significantly associated with bare-ground drying. High-loss households were food self-sufficient for only 5 months compared to 9 months for low-loss households, confirming a self-perpetuating poverty trap (r = -0.62, p < 0.001). The primary barriers to adopting hermetic technologies were upfront cost (82%), limited local availability (65%), and lack of knowledge (59%). The study concludes that PHL in Ward 5 is unacceptably high and urgently requires intervention, particularly in storage and drying. Recommendations include a subsidised hermetic bag distribution programme, gender-sensitive post-harvest extension, investment in community drying infrastructure, and improved market incentives for grain quality. Reducing PHL from 35% to 20% would extend household food self-sufficiency by approximately two months, an economic and humanitarian imperative.