A gradual revival of cotton cultivation is underway in Ukraine, a crop that is of strategic importance for both the textile industry and the defense sector, in particular the production of gunpowder. The first experimental plantings in the Odessa region have already demonstrated that cotton can grow successfully in the southern regions of the country.

In 2026, the Mykolaiv region will also join the experiment, where they plan to sow 8 hectares of cotton. Since April 2025, the cultivation of this crop has been supported by a state program that provides compensation in the amount of 10 thousand hryvnias for each hectare of crops.

As reported by the chief specialist of the Department of Agro-Industrial Development of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Afanasiev, the first hectare of cotton has already been planted in the seed economy of the region. This was the first practical step towards a larger-scale introduction of the crop.

The company’s director, Nadiia Ivanova, notes that the farm is actively testing niche crops, and interest in cotton is growing due to climate change and the formation of domestic demand. She emphasizes that the development of Ukraine’s own textile production opens up additional sales opportunities, in addition to exports.

According to her, a market for Ukrainian raw materials is already being formed within the framework of the industrial parks program, and a factory has been opened that will work on the production of domestic textiles. This creates the prerequisites for the development of a full production cycle — from growing raw materials to finished products.

The project is being supported by Vira Borovyk, a doctor of agricultural sciences, who reported that cotton was sown in Ukraine for the first time using no-till technology. Three varieties were used in the experimental plots — two foreign and one Ukrainian, “Pidozersky-4”, while super-elite seeds are being sown.

She also notes that the experimental plots have already yielded a crop in non-irrigated conditions - about 3.2 t/ha of raw cotton for this variety. It is expected that the new crops will yield no lower figures, and similar results have already been recorded in the Kherson region.

According to scientists, the yield of 3.2 t/ha is approximately one and a half times lower than in the countries of Central Asia. At the same time, cultivation there is accompanied by irrigation, which significantly increases costs, while in Ukraine some experiments are carried out without irrigation. An additional advantage of the crop is that it does not require complex cultivation after the formation of seedlings.

Agronomist Vasyl Siurchenko draws attention to the key problem - the lack of specialized equipment for harvesting cotton in Ukraine. Because of this, according to him, in the absence of combines, the crop will have to be harvested manually.

He explains that cotton ripens unevenly: the bolls ripen at different times depending on the variety, which complicates mechanized harvesting. That is why the issue of technical support remains critical for scaling up the crop.

At the same time, the director of the enterprise Nadiia Ivanova notes that harvesting from one hectare is not a difficult task at the initial stage. She adds that if the crop’s prospects are confirmed, technical and organizational issues will definitely be resolved in the further development of the project.