AI Inspects Grain Quality
Russia’s Krasnaya Gorka and Beeline AI have deployed a computer vision system to inspect incoming grain at an elevator in Penza region.
Preserving harvested grain is a critical task for Russia’s agricultural sector. Each year, the country loses about 10% of its grain crop during transportation and storage, said Pyotr Chekmarev, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Committee on Agricultural Development, at the international business conference Elevators of Russia 2025. In absolute terms, that amounts to 10 million to 12 million metric tons of grain. Cutting those losses in half would give Russia an additional 5 million to 6 million metric tons a year. Reducing them to 2% to 3% would add 8 million to 9 million metric tons to the market.
That is why tighter control at every stage of grain transport, receiving and storage has a clear economic rationale. New digital systems can help address the challenge.
See Every Ton of Grain in the Truck
In October 2026, during the harvest season, IT specialists from Krasnaya Gorka LLC, part of the Continent group of companies, and AI solution developers at PJSC VimpelCom, which operates under the Beeline brand, deployed a computer vision system to monitor the entire grain-receiving process at an elevator in Kolysheysky District, Penza region.
Previously, a dedicated team had to physically monitor every truck as it unloaded, requiring staff to remain on-site throughout the process. But people can make mistakes, so there was always a risk that a truck would leave before unloading completely. In some cases, as much as one metric ton of grain could remain in the truck bed. With grain averaging about 10,000 rubles per metric ton (approximately $124), these missed loads translated into substantial financial losses for crop producers.
Now, all key operations are automated. As a truck enters or leaves the facility, video analytics reads its license plate and triggers the gate to open. The digital platform assesses how full the truck bed is on arrival and checks that it is empty on departure. This prevents trucks from leaving with grain still on board. “Before we introduced the system, monitoring unloading required people to be on-site at all times. Now, the process is transparent at every stage,” said Yuri Yakomazov, CEO of Krasnaya Gorka LLC.
AI Checks Grain Quality
When grain arrives, AI helps assess its quality objectively. A robotic arm collects six required samples: three from the truck bed and three from the trailer. The samples come from different points, helping assess grain loaded onto the vehicle by different combines. During weighing, the system also records whether the driver remained in the cab. If a procedure is not followed, the system sends real-time alerts to staff on duty. This helps protect grain quality while also reducing costs for crop producers.
“With 100 trucks arriving each day, even occasional incomplete unloads can add up to significant losses over a season. If the system helps us save even one metric ton of grain per day, that amounts to 300,000 rubles (about $3,700) over 30 days of operation and more than 1 million rubles (over $12,400) over a season. AI also helps employees manage their workload: the system handles continuous monitoring, while people step in when a situation requires their judgment. Technology is a good way to strengthen oversight during the peak of harvest without hiring additional staff,” said Konstantin Romanov, director of AI and digital products at PJSC VimpelCom.
The new digital platform effectively automates every stage of grain receiving and assessment before the crop enters storage. A logical next step in digitizing grain-storage operations would be to integrate receiving inspections with truck-queue management and weighing operations.
Building a Traceable Grain Supply Chain
Russia’s market already offers solutions that combine these processes into a unified elevator management system. Developers are working on digital platforms that integrate grain receiving, cleaning, drying and storage with production accounting, financial analytics and operational monitoring. In 2022, an automated management system for a grain elevator complex was developed in Voronezh region. In 2023–2024, the CenterProgramSystem group of companies implemented a digital system for production-level quantitative and qualitative grain accounting at an elevator in Volgograd region.
Going forward, digital platforms for grain elevators are expected to become part of Russian precision and smart farming systems that incorporate sensors, mobile apps for day-to-day operations and AI analytics. Once integrated with the federal state information system for tracing grain and processed grain products, known as FGIS Zerno, elevator accounting data can be cross-checked against actual operations, making grain shipments more transparent.
The new technology can increase the volume of grain available even at current yield levels, helping strengthen Russia’s position in global food markets. Digital solutions that reduce losses and improve product quality could also become a distinct export offering. International customers could be offered integrated grain-storage management systems combining computer vision, logistics, production accounting and AI analytics. So demand is likely to be strongest in countries friendly to Russia, including members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and countries in the Middle East, where there is interest in tools that can reduce post-harvest losses.
