Some Experts Say Chinese-Made Ag Sprayer Drones are Trojan Horses

The battle over Chinese tech, security and other related issues has spilled over into the US Ag industry.

    Proposed amendment would ban future FAA drone licenses

According to the latest data, American farmers in 41 states sprayed over 3.7 million acres of various crops, mostly using Chinese-made drones. AgFunderNews.com issued a report about this growing issue.

DJI Technologies is the leading maker of these large spray drones, but they could be facing a partial 'ban.'  A  House Amendment, which was tacked onto the latest Department of Defense spending bill, would ban future FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) licenses for these Chinese-built models.

DJI, according to reports, is by far the market leader in this category.

Any drone of a certain size or larger, including those used for commercial, business or ag purposes requires an FAA License.

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Opponents of the ban say this would eliminate spray jobs in rural communities, while supporters say the Chinese drones are the perfect "Trojan horse."  3 US drone makers say there are security concerns because these drones could "go rogue" due to in-flight data updates.

Opponents say doomsday predictions are far-fetched, but supporters say these drones could overspray a crop the entire season and kill it.

Given the political and tech climate between the US and China, there are growing numbers of experts, legislators, and even some farmers who are concerned about how much Chinese tech can be trusted. Some point to the ongoing battles over the social media app Tik-Tok, which has been accused of data harvesting of its users, and sending that information overseas.