By Bob Bragg
The number of aerial drones, which are small aircraft directed on the ground by drone pilots, have increased dramatically on U.S. farms and ranches over the past couple of years. The numbers jumped from about 1,000 in January 2024 to almost 5,500 by July 2025. This growth is partly due to the price of the drones dropping and the increased utility of the aircraft that are capable of broadcasting seeds, applying crop chemicals and scouting for weeds and livestock without the pilot having to physically be on the fields and pastures. Agricultural drones offer ag producers a cost effective way of applying their payloads on crops that have required ground applications in the past. Currently widely-used drone models cost around $5,000 in China, but the price in the U.S. is around $20,000 or more, which is similar to the price of a small tractor. The largest models can carry a payload of about 220 lbs. Most of these drones have been built in other countries, and last week, the Trump Administration banned the importation of foreign made drones, which have been getting larger and more capable since they were first introduced a decade or so ago. According to the Federal Communications Communications Commission, drones and critical parts made outside of the U.S. pose an “unacceptable” national security risk and are prohibited going forward. After the Trump announcement, The American Soybean Association weighed in stating, “Foreign-manufactured drones represent a significant majority of the agricultural drone market, and sudden restrictions on their use without available domestically manufactured alternatives risk adding new financial and operational burdens for farmers already facing tight margins and market uncertainty.”
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