An ambitious project on industrial cotton cultivation has been launched in the Odesa region, which aims to meet the needs of the army and light industry. According to Suspilny, experimental sowing has already begun in the fields of Odesa, which is flourishing and promises to become an important stage of the region's agrarian development.

Serhiy Melnyk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Plant Varieties Expertise, said that specialists are actively researching the possibility of growing cotton in southern Ukraine. Currently, the issues of irrigation and crop utilization are being studied, as well as the technical aspects of cultivation are being determined: "Solving the task of industrial production of cotton is of great importance not only for light industry, but also for the defense sector. Cotton is used in the production of powder charges, so its importance cannot be underestimate".

Andrii Kravchenko, deputy director of the Department of Agrarian Development of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, noted that Ukraine received five varieties of cotton, which is about 110 kilograms of seed material. The first demonstration fields are located on an area of ​​more than five hectares throughout Odesa. "This is a new culture for our region, and until now it has not been grown on a demonstration scale. Odesa, Bessarabia in particular, is a priority region for this project," Kravchenko emphasized.

The Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Agrarian Policy, Stepan Chernyavskyy, added that cotton cultivation requires the same equipment as grain crops. The main difference is in the harvesting process. "We are sure that we are moving in the right direction. For further development, we need to ensure industrial production and attract investments for the purchase of equipment. The plans include processing at least 10,000 hectares, but we hope for more," said Chernyavskyi.

Farmer Mykola Zlatov, who planted cotton on an area of ​​2.2 hectares, considers this project a new and exciting business challenge. He emphasized the need to develop a clear program for farmers, which will ensure understanding of all stages of production: "We need to understand where the factories are located, what logistics will be provided, and how we will process and sell cotton. It is important that farmers know what to do with grown products".

Thus, the industrial cultivation of cotton in the Odesa region has the potential to become an important part of the agricultural sector of Ukraine, providing the needs of defense and light industry, as well as contributing to the economic development of the region.