According to the latest data, the annual damage caused to grain by grain weevils reaches 7 million tons.
The head of Rosselkhoznadzor cited these figures at the All-Russian Grain Forum. He stated that the pests have an extremely negative impact on the results achieved by farmers.
Specifically, infested grain loses its germination capacity—in some cases, up to 90%. This leads to virtually no harvest in a given field.
Thus, all the efforts expended during the sowing season are wasted. The grain weevil is particularly dangerous. Grain infected by it is practically unsuitable for sowing.
The reason for such large-scale losses, as the head of the agency explained, lies in the state of the infrastructure: a significant portion of domestic grain elevators are relics of the Soviet era.
In some of them, grain storage conditions are not only substandard but also insufficiently strictly controlled.
In this regard, the supervisory agency is returning to scheduled inspections of large grain storage facilities. Now, facilities with a capacity of 50,000 tons or more are being closely monitored (previously, the high-risk category started at 100,000 tons).
The Ministry of Agriculture believes that stricter controls will help increase exports by improving the quality of products shipped abroad and will make grain circulation more transparent.
Furthermore, the head of Rosselkhoznadzor noted in an interview that the agency had proposed even stricter measures—inspecting elevators with a capacity of 25,000 tons or more.
Simplifying controls, in his opinion, does not contribute to safety. On the contrary, preferential terms for producers and processors have led to a significantly higher number of violations being identified.
This significantly facilitates the timely rejection of grain that no longer meets the required standards, as well as preventing the development of conditions in the granary that contribute to its spoilage, including preventing pest activity.
The head of Rosselkhoznadzor assigns a key role in this process to information systems and the further development of grain traceability.
Without precise accounting at all stages—from field to shipment—it is impossible to produce a quality product, he emphasized.
On the contrary, the active use of such systems helps improve grain quality and identify problem areas and stages that require special attention.
Therefore, companies that own grain elevators should prepare for more thorough inspections in the near future, experts note.
