Ukraine’s largest hemp processing facility has begun operations in the Zhytomyr region.

Ukraine’s largest enterprise for the primary processing of industrial hemp has launched in the Ma’Rijany industrial park in the Zhytomyr region. The Ma’Rijany Hemp Company has built a state-of-the-art production facility with an annual capacity of 14,000 tons, repurposing an abandoned flax mill. The site includes 10,000 square meters for production and 10,800 square meters for warehousing.

The initial investment in this phase exceeds $20M. The facility will produce long fiber for textiles and industrial fabrics, short fiber for paper, insulation, and nonwovens, along with materials for bioplastics, construction supplies, and animal bedding. Initial product samples are being manufactured for clients. Last year, the company cultivated 890 hectares of hemp and plans to expand this to 1,200 hectares, marking record levels for Central and Eastern Europe.

This enterprise represents the first processing operation in an industry being revitalized following the Verkhovna Rada’s December 2023 approval of the law lifting the ban on processing industrial hemp.

Moreover, Agrotrade Group has expanded its industrial hemp cultivation in the Chernihiv region by 100 hectares this year, bringing its total to 330 hectares.