Ukraine to establish Europe’s largest industrial hemp plantation

In the Zhytomyr region,  the local administration plans to create a cluster for the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp based on a defunct flax factory in the village of Ryzhany. To this end, the largest plantation in Europe for growing plants will be established.

Michel Tereshchenko, the shareholder of the Volodar-Volyn Flax Factory, announced that.

"It is about the transformation of the old flax factory in the village of Ryzhany into a modern cluster for the cultivation and processing of technical hemp," the agrarian said.

This project will provide an alternative to the supply from China and allow to revive the tradition of textile hemp in Ukraine and Europe.

Tereshchenko mentioned that an industrial park would be created around the plant for all Ukrainian entrepreneurs who want to come and work there, being sure of a good supply of basic raw materials.

"You will learn more in the coming days," the shareholder added.

In a comment to "Ukrinform' media, he noted that there are already agreements with Ukrainian investors interested in the project of creating a cluster for the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Ryzhany.

The project's initiator still needs to name the investors, but assures that they will be announced soon.

"France, Belgium, and Italy have technologies that will make it possible to obtain long fiber from hemp. So far, they have been used only for flax. But if applied to hemp, it can be used in the textile industry and produce good products.

And if in France the area of plantations for technical hemp reaches 30-40 hectares, then in Ukraine, there is an opportunity to expand them to more than 1000 hectares. Currently, there are already agreements signed with companies in Italy, Belgium, and France, which are ready to buy fiber in Ukraine," Michel Tereshchenko emphasized.

The cluster is looking forward to cooperation with small and large companies in the sphere of textiles, packaging and biodegradable towels, quality paper, insulation and construction materials, non-woven mattresses, agro fiber, or biomass pellets.