AgricultureID

Calculator · post-harvest

Post-harvest loss calculator

Calculates the physical (quantity) loss between two points in a post-harvest chain.

Required

Required

A separate category. Carried from your own assessment, echoed back on its own line, and never merged into the physical loss.

A separate category. Carried from your own assessment, echoed back on its own line, and never merged into the physical loss.

Result

Enter values to see a result.

Formula & assumptions

Physical (quantity) loss

formula v1.0.0 · calc v1 · reviewed 2026-07-16

Loss% = (Q₀ − Q₁) ÷ Q₀ × 100

Applies to: A defined segment of a post-harvest chain.

Assumptions

  • Both quantities are the same commodity, in the same unit, on the same moisture basis.

Limitations

  • PHYSICAL MASS ONLY. A lot that lost no mass but fell a grade has a quality loss and possibly a value loss with zero physical loss — this figure would read 0% and would be right about mass and silent about everything else.
  • Comparing quantities at different moisture contents measures drying, not loss. Convert to a common basis first, or the number is meaningless.
  • Describes a difference between two figures. It attributes no cause, and nothing here identifies why a quantity fell.

Scope

Not a food-safety determination. Material may be unusable for reasons this arithmetic cannot see.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab)

About this tool

  • Physical mass only. A lot that lost no mass but fell a grade has a quality loss, and possibly a value loss, with zero physical loss — the figure below would read 0% and would be right about mass and silent about everything else.
  • Physical, quality, and value loss are three different quantities on three different denominators. They are never added together here, because a combined "total loss" would double-count and would mean nothing.
  • Comparing quantities at different moisture contents measures drying, not loss. Restate them on a common basis first, or the number is meaningless.
  • Describes a difference between two figures. It attributes no cause.

Educational reference — not a prescription

Not a food-safety determination and not a loss-assessment methodology. Material may be unusable for reasons this arithmetic cannot see, and a quality or value loss is an assessment you make, not a number this tool produces.

  • These calculators are for education and reference. The quality of any result depends entirely on the accuracy of the values you enter.
  • Local agronomic conditions, legal requirements, product labels, and professional advice may override a general calculation.
  • Results are not pesticide, fertilizer, irrigation, or veterinary prescriptions, and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified agronomist or your local extension service.