Iran produces a wide range of agricultural products which are lost at one level or the other at post-harvest stage leading to wastage in human effort, farm inputs and investments. The expression "post-harvest losses" means a measurable quantitative and qualitative loss in a given product. These losses can occur during any of the various phases of the post-harvest system. Wheat grain may be lost in the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages. Post-harvest losses occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption. They include on-farm losses, such as when grain is threshed, winnowed and dried, as well as losses along the chain during transportation, storage and processing. There is potential for loss throughout the grain harvesting and marketing chains. The post-harvest losses have been estimated using the survey data collected from 82 farmers, 55 wholesalers, 20 processors and 20 retailers in each crop in North Eastern Iran ( Quchan, Farouj , Shirvan, Chenaran )for the years 2009-11. Tabular analysis has been used to estimate the post-harvest losses at different stages. Loss assessment surveys were conducted to determine the harvest loss from shattering of grain, loss of panicles and other effects, threshing loss and the amount of grain lost to rodents in the period between harvesting and storage.

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