The above economic estimations have been restricted to
weight losses; however, the size of the economic value of
total losses could be substantially higher if the losses associated
with missed market opportunities were considered.
Although opportunity losses are more difficult to estimate
than weight losses, there is a need to better understand
their importance. The establishment of postharvest weight
loss baseline data, as well as a better understanding of the
magnitude of the opportunities lost, are both critical to better
inform development experts, policy makers, and industry
stakeholders of the options offered by the systematic adopting
of PHL- reduction strategies. The exercise presented here
on PHL estimations also suggests the need for an approach
that balances the costs and benefits of producing more food
to cover the losses caused by the lack of appropriate PHL reduction
technologies and practices.
While in this chapter the focus has been on the nature and
magnitude of the losses that can occur in cereal chains in
SSA, the next chapter will focus on the technological options
that have been implemented and are available to minimize
PHL in grains.