On the morning of August 23rd, Farmers' Daily and DJI Agriculture jointly held a press conference in Beijing for the "Agricultural Drone Industry White Paper (2024/2025)" (hereinafter referred to as the "White Paper"). As the first authoritative industry report jointly released by the two parties, the White Paper comprehensively summarizes the development trends, technological innovations, and application value of the global agricultural drone industry, providing important reference for the modernization of agriculture.

The two parties jointly compiled this White Paper to comprehensively present the agricultural drone technology framework, diverse application scenarios, and policy environment. It aims to provide best practices and standardized references for global governments, agricultural practitioners, and users, helping to build a healthy, trustworthy, and sustainable industry ecosystem.

The White Paper will be released annually starting in 2022, with the 2025 edition providing a comprehensive overview of the industry's latest developments, new application scenarios, and best practices. Data from this white paper shows that since 2024, global agricultural drone applications have continued to expand, with the introduction of numerous favorable policies, ushering in a new phase of standardized and rapid development for the industry. By June 2025, the global agricultural drone fleet will exceed 500,000, saving approximately 330 million tons of water and reducing carbon emissions by 42.58 million tons. Agricultural drones are attracting young people from around the world to return to their hometowns and start businesses, with over 12,000 women currently employed in the agricultural drone industry. Through detailed data and extensive case studies, the white paper systematically illustrates the core value of agricultural drones in liberating agricultural production labor, reshaping the industry ecosystem, and promoting a green and low-carbon transition, highlighting the crucial role of technological innovation in driving sustainable agricultural development.

Joint Release: Witnessing a New Chapter in Smart Agriculture

At the press conference, Ning Qiwen, Party Secretary and President of the Farmers' Daily, delivered the opening remarks. He stated, "Agricultural drones are reshaping traditional production models with the power of technology and becoming a new engine for ensuring food security. The release of this white paper not only provides a reference for government policymaking, but also provides data support for research institutions to clarify their research directions. It also offers practical guidance for agricultural producers and operators to understand and apply new technologies, and will foster collaborative progress and healthy development across the entire supply chain."

DJI Innovations Vice President Shao Jianhuo reviewed DJI's ongoing innovation and practice in the agricultural drone field. He stated, "Making products 'affordable, usable, efficient, and profitable' has always been the core philosophy of our product development and application. Agricultural drones, with their tangible efficiency improvements and increased profits, have given low-altitude economics and technological innovation its most fashionable yet unpretentious qualities."

Liu Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Mechanization Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, noted that the center has long focused on and supported the standardization and development of the agricultural drone industry, focusing on systematic advancements in areas such as agricultural machinery purchase subsidies, appraisal and testing, operator training, standard setting, voluntary certification, and end-of-life replacement. The center has actively collaborated with regulatory authorities to introduce a number of management measures, continuously promoting standardization, regularization, and high-quality development of the industry.

Yuan Huizhu, Researcher at the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Chief Scientist of the Smart Plant Protection Team, presented a special report titled "Development and Application of Plant Protection UAV Aerial Pesticide Application Technology," which vividly and systematically outlined the development of aerial plant protection pesticide application technology in my country. He emphasized, "my country's pesticide application is evolving from extensive to precise, from manual to intelligent. To do one's job well, one must first sharpen their tools. Advanced pesticide application tools and technologies are key to combating pests and ensuring food security."

In the subsequent discussion, several guests engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as "Low-Altitude Economy Policy and Industry Standard Development" and "Pathways for Deep Integration of Drones and Smart Agriculture." They shared practical application experiences, analyzed current challenges and systematic solutions facing the industry, and jointly envisioned the broad prospects for agricultural drones in promoting the transformation of modern agriculture.

Li Weiguo, President of the China Agricultural Mechanization Association, pointed out that establishing an application environment for agricultural drones is crucial, and improving laws and regulations is a crucial step in optimizing this environment. He specifically noted that current regulations, such as the 150 kg takeoff weight and 30-meter flight altitude limit, still have room for further refinement and differentiation. More adaptable legal support is urgently needed to provide solid guarantees for the large-scale, standardized application of agricultural drones.

White Paper Reveals: China Oversees Over 2.6 Billion Mu of Agricultural Drone Operations, Reshaping the Industry Ecosystem

The White Paper indicates that by 2024, China's annual agricultural drone operations will exceed 2.6 billion mu, driving nearly 500,000 people into aerial spraying services and creating an aerial spraying market worth approximately 13 billion yuan. Behind these statistics lies a reshaping of the workforce: an increasing number of young people are returning to rural areas, and the proportion of female pilots continues to rise. It also reflects the expansion of agricultural value, from traditional crop protection to the entire agriculture sector, from single operations to full-process management. Furthermore, it is the birth of a new agricultural ecosystem, expanding from spraying and seeding applications to agricultural drone lifting. Agricultural drones, as "new quality productivity," are injecting powerful momentum into sustainable development and jointly charting a new path for agriculture.

At the press conference, Wang Yaqiong, head of global policy at DJI Agriculture, shared insights on the five core contents of the white paper, including industry events, global policy trends, environmental protection and efficacy testing, new application scenarios and best practices, comprehensively presenting the rapid development and application results of agricultural drones around the world.

Wang Yaqiong, Head of Global Policy at DJI Agriculture, officially released the "White Paper."

Industry milestones highlight progress in technology inclusion and internationalization.

In February of last year, three DJI Agriculture models received design authorization from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority, marking growing international recognition. In June, agricultural drone instructors provided guidance to local farmers in Africa on the use of new agricultural machinery, helping Chinese technology "go global." In October, at the FAO Science and Innovation Forum, DJI Agriculture demonstrated to the world how agricultural drones are driving agricultural modernization through technological innovation.

The policy environment is improving.

Since 2024, China has successively issued and implemented regulations such as the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights" and the "Regulations on the Management of Agricultural Unmanned Aircraft Operator Training (Trial Implementation)." These regulations have strengthened airworthiness management and personnel training, providing policy support for the healthy development of the industry. At the same time, major agricultural countries and regions such as the European Union, Brazil, and the United States have also introduced policies to lower the barriers to drone application and promote standardization in the agricultural drone industry.

Significant Results from Environmental and Pesticide Efficacy Testing

From 2021 to 2024, several international organizations and universities conducted drift testing on agricultural drones. DJI Agriculture, in collaboration with global partners, also conducted systematic testing of various drone models. The results showed that drone-based pesticide drift was significantly lower than that of traditional manned aircraft. Furthermore, based on AI large-scale model technology, the Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, developed a precision spraying algorithm for fruit tree canopies, reducing pesticide application by nearly 48%. This means that drones not only improve operational efficiency but also effectively reduce agricultural non-point source pollution.

Application Scenarios Continue to Expand

By 2024, agricultural drone lifting technology will move from concept to practice: Citrus lifting efficiency in Zigui, Hubei Province will reach dozens of times that of traditional manual labor; banana-growing areas in Yunnan have reduced transportation losses from 20%-30% to below 5% through the "Red Flag Dispatch" model; drones are being used to lift grass grids in the Tengger Desert, significantly improving desertification control in Zhongwei; and in the Lhasa North and South Mountain greening project, drones lifted 5,500 kilograms per day, 14 times the capacity of mules, helping to meet greening targets ahead of schedule. Agricultural drones are continuously breaking through environmental and topographical limitations, providing new solutions for agricultural production and ecological management in complex regions.

Best practices emphasize multiple aspects, including "personnel training, technology development, and operational standards."

The original intention of the White Paper stems from the need for unified understanding and standardization arising from the rapid development of the global agricultural drone industry. With the export of technology and the expansion of large-scale applications, overseas markets are gradually becoming more aware of the positioning, efficiency, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance of agricultural drones. Domestically, efforts are also being made to effectively promote the training of agricultural drone operators, operational safety standards, and scientific pesticide application. By 2024, global agricultural drone policies will exhibit distinct characteristics: a transition from experimentation to widespread adoption, and from restrictions to openness.

China's "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flights" have officially come into effect, and a number of supporting policies have been introduced, establishing a regulatory framework for standardized operations. The "low-altitude economy" has risen to the status of a strategic emerging industry, providing solid support for the development of a national low-altitude production and operation network. In 2025, the Central Government's "No. 1 Document" explicitly listed "low-altitude technology" alongside artificial intelligence and big data for the first time, proposing the expansion of smart agricultural technology applications. This marks the official inclusion of agricultural drones as a nationally strategic "new agricultural tool."

At the same time, many countries overseas are also actively promoting policy relaxation and standardization. Brazil's Civil Aviation Authority has lifted airworthiness requirements, lowering the barrier to use for agricultural drones. The European Union has adopted the ISO 23117-1 international standard for spraying systems. Portugal has led 14 countries in promoting legislation for drone pesticide use. The US FAA has added DJI agricultural models to its exemption list, and the Australian Civil Aviation Authority has issued guidance clarifying relaxed regulations for operations on private land. These changes not only demonstrate widespread global recognition of the value of agricultural drones but also remove institutional barriers to their implementation.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his visit to the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences in November 2013, "We must give agriculture the wings of science and technology." Agricultural drones are becoming a vivid example of China's agricultural technological innovation. They are leapfrogging the traditional reliance on large-scale machinery and entering the era of intelligent, green, unmanned operations, establishing a new agricultural model that is more efficient, environmentally friendly, and more sustainable.

The White Paper's conclusion emphasizes: "Agricultural drones are not just a production tool; they also epitomize China's progress from a large agricultural nation to a powerful agricultural nation." At the closing ceremony, Zhan Xinhua, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Farmers' Daily, noted that the release of the White Paper is not the end, but a new starting point for the collaborative advancement of smart agriculture among government, industry, academia, and research. The future development of agricultural drones will require the coordinated advancement of both technology and policy. Only by continuously promoting the deep integration of technological innovation and institutional safeguards can they fully leverage their core driving force in agricultural modernization and sustainable development, truly becoming a key engine for China's progress toward becoming a powerful agricultural nation.