Cotton boom in Odessa helps combat ammunition shortage in Ukraine

Cotton growing in Ukraine is an ancient tradition that was lost during the USSR. But now, in the midst of the war, it is being revived in the Odessa region thanks to the large-scale invasion of Russia.

On May 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed bill No. 10427-1, a key step to accelerate the registration of cotton varieties and promote their cultivation in the Odessa region. This initiative is of particular strategic importance because cotton cellulose is a key ingredient in the production of gunpowder and tank shell charges, which are currently in short supply around the world. The global shortage of gunpowder has driven up prices, exacerbated by Russia's aggressive procurement of cotton cellulose from Asian countries to supply its ammunition factories. By growing its own cotton, Ukraine can mitigate its ammunition shortage and reduce its dependence on foreign sources.

The choice of the Odessa region – more precisely Bessarabia, near the Romanian border – for cotton cultivation is not accidental. The soil and climatic conditions of the region are ideal for this cultivation. Experts from the Institute of Climate-Oriented Agriculture of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) believe that, unlike cotton cultivation in tropical regions or Central Asian countries, production in southern Ukraine is more ecologically sustainable.

Ukraine's association with cotton dates back to 1827, when the first attempts to grow it were made on a five-hectare plot in the Kherson region. By the 1930s, cotton production had increased significantly, and by 1932 over 1,500 collective farms were growing the crop. This trend continued after World War II, when the Soviet Union faced a severe shortage of raw materials for textiles. Cotton was again sown in the Kherson region, with plants planted 20 centimeters apart and harvested manually, often with the help of schoolchildren.

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However, in 1956, the Soviet government abruptly decided to stop cotton cultivation in southern Ukraine because high yields could not be achieved without irrigation. The agricultural policy prevailing at the time forced strict specialization of crops in all Soviet republics, with cotton being a domain of Central Asia, which led to a temporary pause in cotton experiments in the south.

A significant step forward in Ukrainian agriculture was made by the Stoyanov AA Farm in Odessa, which launched an experimental project on growing cotton: a unique venture for Ukraine. Thanks to the team's dedication and perseverance, they successfully harvested the first cotton bolls, which was an important milestone for the domestic agricultural sector.

“The cotton bolls are ripening and are expected to burst open like sails caught by a light breeze. We are eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the snow-white fibers, the culmination of a long process. This moment is a triumph of both nature and human effort. The cotton becomes visible and with it the pride of what has been achieved,” said Alla Stoyanova from Agrarna Odeshchyna.

Cotton cultivation in Ukraine is not only of agricultural but also of strategic importance. Raw cotton – a mixture of fibers and impurities – is harvested from the fields and then processed into pure cotton cellulose. This cellulose is further processed in defense enterprises into nitrocellulose, which is used in the production of gunpowder.

The expansion of cotton production in Ukraine not only contributes to the diversification of the agricultural sector but also to strengthening national security.

While Ukraine is reviving its cotton industry, Russia has significantly increased its imports of cotton pulp since the start of its large-scale invasion. Lacking significant domestic production, Russia has increased its imports from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. According to UN Comtrade data, imports of cotton pulp from these two countries rose from $4 million in 2021 to nearly $10 million in 2022, with Uzbekistan delivering $9 million worth of shipments in the first nine months of 2023 alone.

Private Russian companies often buy this cellulose under the pretext of producing varnishes and then resell it to state-owned ammunition factories. In 2022, Uzbek exporter Raw Materials Cellulose made 14 direct shipments worth almost $500,000 to the Tambov gunpowder plant. This amount increased to $2.6 million in 2023. Kazakhstani company Khlopkoprom-Cellulose has also been supplying Russian gunpowder manufacturers since 2022, with contracts running until 2026.

China and, unexpectedly, even Western countries such as the United States, Germany, Turkey and Taiwan have also been suppliers of nitrocellulose to Russia despite the sanctions. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian importer Analytical Marketing Chemical Group received about $700,000 worth of nitrocellulose from Taiwan over the past two years, much of it destined for the Kazan powder factory.

Turkey's involvement has increased significantly since the invasion began. Before the war, it supplied only 1% of Russia's nitrocellulose, but by mid-2023, Istanbul-based Noy İç Ve Diş Ticaret (Noy) accounted for almost half of Russia's imports. Notably, much of this material came from Western suppliers. For example, German subsidiaries of International Flavors & Fragrances sold at least 80 tons of nitrocellulose to Noy, which then found its way to Russia.

While defense contractors around the world struggle to source nitrocellulose amid shortages and high prices, Russia has managed to circumvent sanctions and increase its supplies, bolstering its war effort.