A group of agricultural drone distributors have formed a coalition to fight a proposed ban on unmanned aircraft manufactured by Chinese companies as the technology takes off on U.S. farms.
The lobbying group, which represents approximately 80% of the crop spraying drone market, will also weigh in on broader cybersecurity concerns in agricultural technology and advocate for continued consumer access to products.
“Success is ensuring that U.S. farmers have access to ag tech solutions that allow them to remain competitive on a global scale,” said Mariah Scott, CEO of Rantizo.
The coalition comes as Congress considers a ban on drones manufactured by Chinese companies, largely targeting drone giant DJI. The proposal was included in the defense spending bill passed by the House last month, though the provision has been left out of the Senate’s version.
Lawmakers say that DJI and other foreign drone makers present national security concerns, with the prospect of companies providing U.S. consumer data to the Chinese government. Retailers with the lobbying group are vigorously fighting against the claim, noting spray drones are not used for surveying and do not store data on what product is being applied. Additionally, DJI has demonstrated “a commitment to security” by making it so aircraft cannot fly in restricted airspace.
Agricultural drones are used to precisely plant seeds or treat crops with pesticides, with the technology promising efficiency and sustainability benefits. DJI noted that U.S. farmers last year used the company’s drones to plant cover crops on 46,000 hectares of land, or about 114,000 acres.
As of June 2024, DJI estimates agricultural drones have treated more than 500 million hectares — or roughly 1.2 billion acres — of farmland around the world.
Members of the agricultural spray drone coalition include six U.S. based retailers: Agri Spray Drones, Bestway Ag, Drone Nerds, HSE-UAV, Pegasus Robotics, and Rantizo.