Main points
- Ukrainian farmers are resuming cotton cultivation, in particular, in the Mykolaiv region they plan to sow 8 hectares.
- The main problem remains the lack of specialized machinery for harvesting cotton, but farmers hope to solve this issue by expanding their crops.
Cotton field in Mykolaiv region / Photo Unsplash
Ukrainian farmers are gradually resuming the cultivation of cotton, which is considered a strategic crop for the textile and defense industries. After successful experiments in the Odessa region, new crops are planned to be expanded in the Mykolaiv region.
Cotton is starting to be grown again in Ukraine
Ukraine is gradually reviving the cultivation of cotton, a crop that is important for the textile and defense industries, reports “Suspilne”. The first experimental crops in the Odessa region have shown that cotton can be successfully grown in the southern regions of the country.
The Mykolaiv region plans to join this trend in 2026. The region intends to sow 8 hectares with cotton, and one of the seed farms has already sown the first hectare of the crop.
Cotton growing is supported by a state program that has been in effect since 2025. It provides for the payment of 10 thousand hryvnias for each hectare of crops.
Farmers see prospects in a new culture
The farm's director, Nadiya Ivanova, said that the company regularly experiments with niche crops. According to her, interest in cotton has increased due to climate change and the prospects for the development of the domestic textile market.
The factory has already been opened and will produce Ukrainian textiles. I want to try and develop my technology,
– she noted.
Scientists are also actively working with a new crop for Ukraine. Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Vira Borovyk reported that cotton was sown for the first time in Ukraine using no-till technology.
Three varieties of the crop are being tested in the fields – two foreign ones and the Ukrainian variety Pidozerskyi-4. According to the scientist, in non-irrigated conditions, it has already been possible to obtain a yield of 3.2 tons of raw material per hectare.
The main challenge is harvesting.
Despite the positive results of cultivation, farmers face technical difficulties. The main problem remains the lack of specialized machinery for harvesting cotton.
Agronomist Vasyl Syurchenko explains that the crop ripens unevenly, so mechanized harvesting is critically important for large areas.
If there is no combine, we will harvest by hand. We need mechanized harvesting,
– he emphasized.
At the same time, farmers are convinced that if crops are expanded and the economic prospects of the crop are confirmed, technical issues will gradually be resolved.
Ukrainian farmers have passed the sowing equator: plus 1.2 million hectares in a week
By the way, the sowing of main crops has significantly accelerated over the past week.
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As of May 12, Ukrainian farmers had sown 63% of the planned area of spring grain and legume crops, including 2.4 million hectares of corn.
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The leaders in terms of sowing rates are Poltava, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr regions, while in Volyn they have completed the sowing of early spring crops and are continuing the sowing of corn and soybeans.
Currently, corn is being sown in Volyn. Farmers have already sown 36 thousand hectares out of the planned 65 thousand hectares. Also, by the end of the week, farms plan to start sowing buckwheat and millet. This year, 2 thousand hectares have been allocated for buckwheat in the region.