Despite great difficulties in terms of logistics, fuel supply and blocked ports and roads, some Ukrainian farmers continue to produce hemp CBD despite the war have persevered and started several harvests since the beginning of this year.

Difficult context for hemp farmers

Ukrainian farmers continue to produce hemp. It is estimated that there were more than 3 hectares of fields last year, and Roman Fedorowycz, a producer of CBD hemp in the northwest of the country, expects the total area of ​​hemp fields to be around 2 to 000 hectares. Despite great difficulties in terms of logistics, fuel supplies and blocked ports and roads, some Ukrainian farmers have persevered and started several harvests since the beginning of this year.

Dibrova Farms cultivates multiple varieties of hemp, which it exports to the USA and other markets. He was able to plant 250 acres of hemp this year, after planting around 600 hectares in 2021.

Many growers report that the fuel they need to grow their hemp is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. They are in a context where Russia and Belarus have stopped nearly two thirds of annual diesel imports for Ukraine, and where imports from Europe are unfortunately insufficient.

The war has also nearly shut down the country's Institute of Liberian Cultures (IBC), which is a member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, and is located near the Russian border in northern Ukraine. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to finance the relocation of the IBC and its employees.

Jurisdiction and political context for hemp growers

Only the types of hemp seed and fiber that can be grown and processed in Ukraine are permitted through annual licenses issued to farmers by the federal government. All creations must respect the limit of 0,08% THC. This very low threshold, like the rest of the world (0,2% in France), indicates that Ukrainian hemp farmers must limit themselves to Ukrainian hemp varieties. About 12 of these breeds are listed in the country's official breed registry.

Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said the government would present plans to regulate cannabis in therapeutic and industrial settings, as well as to support cannabis-related research. However, the stipulations of this measure have not yet been published and it is not known whether it will also affect industrial hemp.