Post-Harvest Wastage Rate
Percentage of harvested produce lost to spoilage or rejection before reaching market
What is Post-Harvest Wastage Rate?
Post-harvest wastage rate is the percentage of harvested produce that is lost before it reaches the market or consumer. It shows how much of the harvest is wasted in handling, storage and transport.
Reducing wastage raises income and food supply without needing more land or inputs.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Operations & Supply Chain
- Sub-function
- Waste & Losses
- Industry
- Agriculture & Food
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- Operational
- Unit
- %
- Measurement frequency
- Per season / Monthly
- Formula
- (Produce lost post-harvest / Total produce harvested) × 100
How to calculate it
Divide produce lost post-harvest by total produce harvested, and multiply by 100.
For example, if 15 tonnes of a 100-tonne harvest were lost, the wastage rate is 15%.
Record where losses occur, such as at picking, storage, packing or transport, so improvements can be targeted.
Where it is used
Raising income
Sell more of the harvest.
Improving storage and handling
Find loss points.
Supporting sustainability
Reduce food waste.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Temperature control is often the biggest lever.
- Rejections by buyers count as losses.
- Track by crop.
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