In a rare display of unity, a coalition of ag spray drone distributors has come together to urge lawmakers to reconsider plans to restrict the US activities of Chinese drone maker DJI Technologies. This coalition, composed of direct competitors such as Pegasus Robotics, Rantizo, Bestway Ag, Drone Nerds, HSE-UAV, and Agri Spray Drones, has been galvanized by a defense spending bill that recently passed in the House of Representatives. The bill includes amendments that would add DJI to the ‘covered list,’ effectively blocking the company from obtaining FCC licenses for future drone models and potentially revoking existing authorizations.
The Senate version of the defense bill, which has not yet passed, does not include these provisions against DJI. This discrepancy leaves US farmers in a state of limbo, uncertain whether DJI drones will be available to them in the future until the final version of the bill emerges from the reconciliation process.
DJI holds a commanding 80%+ share of the US ag spray drone market, making the potential restrictions particularly concerning for American farmers who rely on these drones for precision agriculture. Jeremy Schneiderman, CEO of Drone Nerds, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Coalition members are engaging directly with lawmakers, but we’re also encouraging customers that use DJI drones to contact their state representatives via the drone advocacy alliance to explain the significant impact a ban on DJI would have on the agricultural industry.”
Bryan Sanders, president of HSE-UAV, echoed these sentiments, pointing out that there has been no factual evidence to suggest that data collected by agricultural drones is being provided to the Chinese government. “On the contrary, companies like DJI have proactively and voluntarily implemented geofence flight restrictions for restricted airspace, demonstrating a commitment to security, not espionage,” Sanders noted.
Despite the concerns, the coalition is keen to address lawmakers’ security issues head-on. They propose creating cybersecurity standards or appropriate regulations to protect vital data across all drones, regardless of their country of origin. “Our job is to provide our customers with the best solution to get their spraying done. Today those solutions happen to be non-American solutions, and we would be doing a disservice to our customers by bringing them products with fewer features, that are less reliable, and are three times the price,” Schneiderman explained.
The coalition members also argue that the dominance of DJI in the market is not solely due to Chinese government subsidies but also because DJI started earlier and built a significant advantage over competitors. “To truly outpace China, we need to invest in our own capabilities,” Sanders asserted. He urged lawmakers to prioritize funding American manufacturing and research while carefully considering the complexities of transitioning away from existing technologies.
Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, underscored the company’s efforts to engage with lawmakers and reassure them about data security. “We’re trying to meet with as many people we can on the Hill to go through what we do on data security, and we’re also encouraging our customers to stay engaged and keep up the pressure,” Welsh said.
The stakes are high for US farmers who have steadily increased their use of spray drones, with 3.7 million acres sprayed by drone in 2023 across 41 states and 50 crops, predominantly using DJI models. The coalition members are hopeful that their concerted efforts will lead to a more favorable outcome in the final version of the defense bill, allowing them to continue providing American farmers with the best tools for their agricultural needs.