White paper highlights rapid global growth of agricultural drones

A white paper on the agricultural drone industry from 2025 to 2026 was released in Beijing on Saturday, highlighting the rapid global expansion of agricultural drones and their growing role in modern farming.

Jointly released by the Farmers' Daily and DJI Agriculture at a news conference, the white paper reviews global developments in the sector since 2025, covering regulatory changes, application scenarios, pilot training and safety standards.

This year's No 1 Central Document, the first major policy statement issued each year on rural affairs, called for integrating artificial intelligence into agricultural development and expanding the use of drones, the Internet of Things and robots. It marked the first time drones and robots have been specifically included in the annual policy blueprint.

According to the organizers, China is now the world's largest market for agricultural drone applications, with new uses continuing to emerge across agricultural production.

Once used primarily for crop protection spraying, agricultural drones are now performing a growing range of tasks, including seed broadcasting, field monitoring, mountain transport and aquaculture management. According to the white paper, they have become an important link between China's emerging low-altitude economy and agricultural modernization.

Luo Xiwen, a professor at South China Agricultural University, said agricultural drones have become one of the fastest-growing and most widely adopted types of agricultural equipment in recent years.

Speaking via video link, Luo said drones are increasingly used for crop protection, seeding, field inspection and transport in mountainous areas, helping overcome the limitations of conventional ground machinery in complex terrain.

According to the white paper, DJI Agriculture's global fleet exceeded 700,000 drones as of June 30, spanning more than 100 countries and regions.

The company has expanded its service network to more than 3,500 maintenance centers and over 7,000 certified training instructors, while more than 700,000 licensed drone operators have been trained worldwide.

The white paper said cumulative drone operations have saved an estimated 480 million metric tons of water and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 61.32 million metric tons through more efficient agricultural practices.

Reflecting the industry's rapid growth, the 2025-2026 white paper includes a dedicated chapter on flight safety. It summarizes safety requirements for different operating environments and provides more detailed recommendations on flight procedures and risk management.