Crop Spraying Drones Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Type (Fixed Wing, Rotary Blade, Hybrid Drone), And By Geography – Forecast From 2022 To 2027

The crop spraying drones market was valued at US$1.009 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.55% over the forecast period to reach a total market size of US$8.297 billion in 2027. 

The crop-spraying drones are used for spraying pesticides in agricultural fields. These drones are useful as it sprays faster and more precisely than manual labor spraying.

Spraying is a hazardous activity and it endangers the health of farmers and labourers while also resulting in massive overuse of toxic chemicals. Thus, growing concern about the harmful impact of pesticides on the environment and human health is significantly driving the demand for crop spraying drones. The market for crop spraying drones is also being driven by the growing global food insecurity due to the burgeoning population. The use of drones in large lands leads to the reduction of labour costs and waste of water. Rising investments in R&D by major market players will also propel the growth of the crop spraying drones market during the forecast period. However, stringent regulations are hampering the adoption of crop-spraying drones, thus negatively impacting the market growth.

North America to hold considerable shares

The steady growth of crop spraying drones in the North American region can be attributed to favourable government policies, generous investments, as well as the growth of AI and IoT technology in the country.  With the steady technological breakthrough, farmers are rapidly adopting agricultural drones to enhance their agricultural productivity. The growing trend of the implementation of UAVs for increased productivity and widespread awareness of precision agriculture for crop scouting, as well as field mapping, is expected to drive the adoption of drones in the agriculture sector in the US. 

Furthermore, the surge in investments by established key players is predicted to allow large, as well as small operations to aid in effective farming practices. Investors like Syngenta, Monsanto, and Mitsui have backed multiple emerging start-ups for enhancing, harvesting, crop spraying and irrigation. Syngenta has invested a large value in various emerging companies. In April 2021, Syngenta made a US$30 million investment in EAVision Technologies, which designs autonomous agriculture drones and is headquartered in California.

Additionally, the constant government support to enhance agriculture production and the availability of supportive infrastructure is expected to significantly drive the market.  one of the primary reasons for the growth of agricultural drones in the US is the provision of exemptions by the US FAA for the use of agriculture drones. FAA’s small UAS rule (Rule 107) has had a significant impact on the usage of drones across various industry verticals including the agricultural sector. The rule proposes the use of drones by ranchers as well as farmers and dictates the provisions and requirements to direct the use of drones in remote sensing operations. This is thus expected to provide growth to the market without any friction.

Key Developments

• December 2021: DJI introduced its latest AGRAS T20 drone in the market its crop protection segment for agriculture. The drone has the capability to carry a maximum payload of 20 kg and a 20% improvement in uniformity spray around seven meters.
• October 2022: Bayer, a global enterprise with core expertise in the life sciences fields of healthcare and agriculture, announced that it had initiated the commercial use of drones in the Indian agricultural sector in Kharif ‘2022. Drone services would be phased in for crop protection and spraying purposes across paddy, cotton, soybean, corn, and horticulture crops.

Product offerings

• The Agras T16 by DJI boasts a robust overall structure with a modular design and supports the highest payload and widest spray width ever in an agricultural drone by DJI. With powerful hardware, an AI engine, and 3D operation planning, the T16 brings operational efficiency to a whole new level.
• The Agro drone from AirBoard is a crop spraying drone, capable of delivering and distributing the pesticide at about half the cost and flying at a constant height over the crops owing to its downward-facing radar. This precision helps reduce the amount of pesticide that needs to be applied, thus, saving money and reducing the toxic chemicals that enter the environment.
• The AGWP-22L by Asta is an agriculture spray drone with a liquid sensor, an alarm warning when no pesticides in the tank, a carbon fibre frame, and water-proof material. It is capable of installing a radar (terrain level sensor) and is suitable for slope terrain.  The drone also offers high efficiency and can spray almost 30-40 hectares in 8 hours. 

COVID-19 Insights

The pandemic negatively affected farmers on a global scale. The slump in food crop prices dropped the expectation of farmers to use agricultural drones, which could be attributed to adversely affected transportation systems and a lack of income being generated due to the mandated lockdowns. However, with the economy going back to normalcy, the crop spraying drone market is expected to gain momentum. 

Crop Spraying Drones Market Scope:

Segmentation:

• By Type
  • Fixed Wing Drone
  • Rotary Blade Drone
  • Hybrid Drone
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa (MEA)
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Isreal
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Taiwan
    • Others