China’s drone-farming boom eyes emerging markets as agriculture automation spreads

China’s drone-farming boom eyes emerging markets as agriculture automation spreadsAgeing rural populations are driving up demand for intelligent aerial devices, and the ‘irresistible trend” is expected to sweep through Southeast Asia2-MIN READ2-MIN0ListenPublished: 7:00pm, 29 Jul 2026To offset an ageing agricultural workforce and boost sustainable yields, China is aggressively accelerating the adoption of farm drones – a trend that analysts say could spread to more emerging markets despite trade restrictions imposed by the United States.Industry leader DJI said its global sales of agricultural drones had exceeded 700,000 units across China and more than 100 other countries and regions by the end of last month – more than a fivefold increase in just five years.Use of the smart devices has expanded from spraying, seeding and fertilising to patrolling fields and transporting materials in steep or flooded terrain. These aircraft have moved a total of 17 million tonnes of farm supplies, according to a DJI report released at the weekend.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x