Agricultural drones are increasingly popular, but federal regulations seem to prevent many farmers from using them

Farmers say drones could revolutionize agriculture, allowing them to assess their crops' health by leaf color and more. Led by North American farmers, the global market for agricultural drones was worth $1.32 billion and is expected to grow to $9.89 billion by 2028, according to a recent report. But farming advocates say U.S. regulations are often confusing and prevent farmers from using the technology. 

"The Federal Aviation Administration determines which regulations and permits apply to drones based on how high they fly, how much they can lift and whether they are for commercial or private use," Capital News Service's Nicholas Simon reports for Michigan State University's Great Lakes Echo. 

“You have to be in sight of the aircraft with unaided vision and you can’t use binoculars.” said Robert Goodwin, project manager of MSU's Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System. “You can use extra people in the field with radio contact to keep an eye on it. But, if your using drones you’re trying to limit labor, not bring more people into the field.”

Farmers have had little input in such regulations. The FAA's Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee regulates commercial drones, but none of its members represented farmers until recently. Congress passed a bill in January 2020 mandating that the committee expand to include representatives from farms and local government organizations, Simon reports. 

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who introduced the bill, said in a statement: "Rural America deserves a seat at the decision-making table."