Ukrainian farmers plan to expand cotton planting in 2027 following successful trials

Ukraine plans to expand cotton planting areas in 2027 following successful trials of domestically developed varieties. According to the Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, some agricultural producers are already preparing to increase planting areas, focusing on the needs of domestic processing enterprises. The transition from experimental to commercial cotton cultivation is seen as a promising way to diversify agricultural production in the country’s southern regions.

In 2026, a three-year trial program involving foreign-bred cotton varieties was completed in the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. At the same time, two Ukrainian varieties — Pidozerskyi 4 and Nezlamnyi, the latter developed in 2025 — were tested on experimental plots. The domestic varieties demonstrated early maturity and high yields. In particular, the Nezlamnyi variety achieved a yield of 3.2 tons per hectare at one farm, while foreign varieties had only begun opening their cotton bolls by the time the Ukrainian varieties reached mass maturity.

According to the research results, Ukrainian cotton varieties have a maturity period of 115–120 days and yields ranging from 2.9 to 3.2 tons per hectare. Fiber yield reaches approximately 38%, with fiber length of 29–30 mm, meeting textile industry requirements. Cotton also demonstrates strong drought and heat tolerance, making it a promising crop under changing climatic conditions, particularly in the drought-prone regions of southern Ukraine.

The development of cotton cultivation is important not only for the textile industry but also for the defense and processing sectors. Cotton cellulose is used in gunpowder production, while cottonseed can be processed into oil and oilcake, and stalks can serve as raw materials for biofuel and paper production. Expanding cotton planting could therefore help establish a domestic raw material base and support the development of integrated agricultural processing.

To encourage cotton production, the government has introduced financial support for farmers. Agricultural producers in the Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions who cultivated cotton and submitted applications through the State Agrarian Register received subsidies of UAH 10,000 per hectare. Further expansion of planting areas in 2027 is expected to create opportunities for mechanized harvesting, the use of specialized equipment and the gradual establishment of a complete cotton production and processing chain in Ukraine.

Tags: Ukraine