Production of gunpowder, cloth, oil: the first cotton crop is harvested in Odesa

The first cotton harvest. Photo: Public. Odesa

In Odesa, the first cotton crop is being harvested from five hectares of experimental plantations, which were sown in May this year. Scientists want to evaluate the possibility of using Ukrainian cotton for the production of gunpowder, as well as fabrics and oil.

This is discussed in the Suspilne. Odesa report.

According to Vasyl Tsapenko, the director of the Odesa branch of the plant variety examination institute, farmers planted five different varieties, including samples from the USA, Germany and Turkey.

The first cotton harvest. Photo: Public. Odesa

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy Stepan Chernyavskyi added that the seeds were planted on experimental fields in Kiliiskyi and Rozdilnianskyi districts.

He is sure that this project has potential not only for the defense industry, but also for the development of the textile industry, because Ukraine imports most of the fabrics. Cotton seeds, which make up 60% of the plant's weight, are also planned to be used for oil production.

«I believe that this topic is not only for gunpowder, it will also attract a very large chain of entrepreneurs who will process cotton,» Cherniavskyi noted.

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The collected cotton will be examined in the laboratories of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Strategic and Industrial Production to check its suitability for the production of gunpowder.

We will remind that in 2025, Ukraine plans to significantly increase the production of its own weapons, including drones, long-range and ballistic missiles.

As reported, as of October 4, farmers in Ukraine harvested 56.6 million tons of new crops from an area of 15.8 million hectares. Odesa, Poltava and Vinnytsia are the leaders in terms of gross grain harvest.