Dr. Misty Blessley is a professor at Temple U. She shares her insights monthly.
DJI, a Chinese company and the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial and industrial drones, faces scrutiny in the U.S. over alleged cybersecurity risks. It is now close to being banned here.
One U. S. business that sells spray-drone kits reported that its challenges began last year when importing DJI drones became significantly more difficult. This uncertainty has caused concern across industries that rely on these tools, from public safety and construction to supply chain logistics. For American agriculture specifically, a ban could cut off access to vital equipment, leaving fields unmonitored, untreated, and risking harvest losses.
Agriculture has adopted drones more rapidly than almost any other sector. Monitoring drones help detect disease and water stress early, while spray drones enable precise application of fertilizer and pesticides during narrow weather windows. They have become crucial for reducing input costs (China is accused of subsidizing their drone industry, which might explain some of the cost differences), protecting yields, and facilitating smooth food movement through supply chains. If imports are halted, many farmers could miss critical windows, leading to lower yields and creating issues along the supply chain, from processors to consumers.
Mitigation Strategies
To prepare, farming businesses should apply lessons learned from managing recent supply chain disruptions:
Diversify suppliers – Start testing U. S. or non-Chinese alternatives, even if they are currently less cost-effective. Early adoption minimizes dependence.
Stock critical parts – As restrictions tighten, building an inventory now provides a safety buffer.
Use mixed fleets – Combine current drones with alternative technologies like ground sprayers to prevent single points of failure.
Plan operational slack – Stagger schedules or adjust operations to account for potential delays.
Collaborate and advocate – Engage with farm bureaus and trade associations to push for phased implementation, subsidies, or funding for domestic options.
Classroom discussion questions:
1• What are the challenges and drawbacks of each mitigation strategy?
2• Considering that the Chinese drone ban is likely, how should user decision-making be updated? (Refer to Module A Decision-Making Tools and consider these facts:◦ Drones can cut labor costs by up to 90% and reduce chemical use by 20–30%. ◦ A high-end U.S.-made drone can cost nearly $30,000, compared to a similar DJI unit costing $6,500).
