The number of hemp farms in Ukraine has increased tenfold

Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species. Ukrainian farmers have been familiar with this plant for a long time. However, hemp is considered a drug in many countries and has been banned in Ukraine for a long time, writes “Agro-Center”.

Nowadays, farmers work with specially derived varieties of technical hemp, which do not have a narcotic effect. The total production costs of hemp cultivation in Ukraine amount to about 3500-4500 UAH per hectare and the profitability reaches 100%. In other words, growing technical hemp can be more profitable than growing sunflower, the most popular crop in Ukraine.

For the most part, industrial hemp is grown to produce fiber and seeds. For the past six years, the number of hemp businesses in Ukraine has increased tenfold. There are 30 enterprises to date.

Hemp was extremely popular in Ukraine in 2016. Then, hemp crops occupied 3,47 thousand hectares. In 2018, the area does not exceed 1,5 thousand hectares. This culture is becoming less popular because of poor development of the hemp processing industry and a lack of a state strategy to support the manufacturer.

At present, seven varieties of hemp are considered to be suitable for cultivation in Ukraine. In particular: YUSO 31, Zolotonisʹki 15, Hlyana, Hlesiya, Nika, Viktoriya, Hlukhivsʹki 51.