Some estimates may be overly optimistic but government and stakeholders in Ukraine agree that hemp fields are likely to grow this year despite the continuing Russian assault in the east.
While the country’s agriculture ministry suggested hemp plantings could reach 8,000 hectares (about 20,000 acres), more modest projections suggest half of that total will go in the ground.
The country’s Institute of Bast Crops said it is wary of making predictions due to environmental, political, and military risks, but Oleg Primakov, who heads the Institute’s scientific research department, estimated that planted fields could total 4,500 hectares.
That figure, in turn, is “on the high side,” according to Roman Fedorowycz, who grows hemp and other crops near Rivne in the northwestern part of the country. Most hemp farming and processing stretches across the northern half of Ukraine.
Steady growth
Estimates from recent years suggest that Ukrainian hemp fields have pushed steadily upward – from 1,500 hectares in 2023 and 2,000 in 2024. The Q1 2025 HempToday Magazine reported a consensus of sources projected this year’s fields will be roughly 3,000 hectares – a 33% increase year-on-year.
A major hemp processing plant in the Zhytomyr oblast in the northwestern part of Ukraine could partially fuel the growth of hemp plantings. The factory, developed by the Ma’Rijani Hemp Company, is located in the Ma’Rizhany industrial park. The company sources hemp from 700 hectares of land, with plans to increase fields to at least 1,200 hectares by engaging additional farmers in the Zhytomyr region.
The adoption of a medical cannabis law in Ukraine has significantly increased interest in hemp cultivation, as it clarified regulatory pathways and expanded market opportunities for farmers. While the law mainly focuses on high-THC medical marijuana, it could eventually open pathways for hemp-derived CBD to be integrated into the medical market.
Simultaneously, the launch of an electronic registry system removes longstanding bureaucratic hurdles that have historically hampered hemp production. Developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the system streamlines administrative procedures, allowing businesses to register and manage hemp cultivation activities efficiently.
‘Full transparency’
“This procedure will provide full transparency and eliminate bureaucracy since it makes hemp just another agricultural crop,” said Sergiy Kovalenkov of Kyiv-based Hempire. “Any farmer can grow any amount of hemp as long as it is specified in the electronic database and doesn’t contain more than 0.2% THC.”
Farmers and processors can now complete registrations, declare crops and yields, input laboratory test data, and analyze agricultural plots via an interactive map, all within a unified digital platform that reduces corruption risks.
Previously, obtaining licenses for hemp production could take up to three months, but under new regulations, businesses only need to register with the electronic system – eliminating quotas and licensing requirements altogether.
Industry observers suggest that while actual hemp plantings may fall short of government forecasts, the medical cannabis law and the electronic registration program help lay the groundwork for long-term growth of the sector. According to Vitaliy Koval, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, the reforms will contribute to the country’s ambition to reestablish itself as a leader in industrial hemp cultivation.