This year, Mykolaiv region has planted its first demo fields for cotton cultivation, covering around 3,000 hectares. The project, initiated by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, involves seven farms and Mykolaiv Agrarian University.
According to Olena Piskun, head of the Department of Agribusiness Development in Mykolaiv OVA, the experiment was previously conducted in Odesa region, and the results were shared. Cotton is considered a promising and highly profitable crop, with great hopes for this project.
Additionally, the sowing campaign in Mykolaiv has been progressing, with the largest area allocated to cereals and technical crops. There is also a growing share of niche crops, such as coriander, mustard, and flax. This year, the area for these crops will triple to 10,000 hectares.
So far, the region has planted:
- 76,000 hectares of spring cereals (barley, peas, oats, spring wheat)
- 10,000 hectares of technical crops (flax, coriander, sunflower)
- 3,000 hectares of vegetables (onions, carrots, beets)
- 6,000 hectares of potatoes
In total, 725,000 hectares of spring crops are planned, including:
- 175,000 hectares of cereals
- 500,000 hectares of technical crops
- 30,000 hectares of potatoes and vegetables
- 3,000 hectares of melons
- 16,000 hectares of forage crops
The area for vegetable crops has increased by 5,000 hectares, indicating growing interest in these crops. Meanwhile, sunflower sowing has decreased due to last year's heatwave, which severely affected the crop, while cereals survived better.
Cotton is considered a highly profitable crop with potential for import substitution and expansion of export opportunities.
Successful implementation could position southern Ukraine as a new player in the strategic agricultural raw materials market.
