Drone manufacturers in China are moving to the countryside following increased government restrictions regarding drone management in urban areas, China Daily reported.
According to an executive from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China, the Civil Aviation Administration of China is currently drafting a new law regarding the provisional regulation of light-duty civilian drones in Chinese cities.
The new bill stipulates that small unmanned aerial vehicles are banned from delivering packages to urban residents.
The new regulation will help ease the problems urban drones have caused in metropolitan areas, including flight path disruption and damage to high-voltage power lines.
According to Ke Yubao, executive general of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China, collision-alert systems installed on small drones are not enough to prevent such accidents.
"A collision and crash will compromise the safety of people on the ground," said Ke in an interview with China Daily.
As a result, more drone manufacturers are tapping into the rural market.
One of these companies is DJI Technology Co., the world's biggest drone maker. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the company released its first farm drone product last November.
"DJI achieved initial success with an unmanned aerial vehicle product in Europe. We only brought the product to the Chinese market after it gained popularity worldwide," said Wang Fan, DJI's public relations officer. "For farm drones, however, we are starting with the domestic market."
It's only timely, according to DJI. An aging society has caused a shortage in labor, particularly in farming communities. Farm drones can help fill the gap with better efficiency.
The mechanization of China's agricultural sector will also allow farmers to cover more arable land area.
"The standardized and mechanized production of agricultural products will . . . enable more farmers to transfer to other sectors," said Wang Jinfu, vice president of Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co. Ltd.