ASA Flags Drone Curbs Impact on Farmers

Soybean growers allege that any potential restrictions on drones may disrupt the use of agro tech and increase the expenses faced by American farmers.

Recent federal measures potentially limiting the use of foreign-made drones in American agriculture have drawn the attention of the American Soybean Association (ASA), which warned of serious consequences of the use of agro tech in the sector. Drones have found their way into the foundation of precision farming, as they assist farmers in controlling their inputs, crop prices, and the efficiency of their work.

As per ASA, the market share of homes made by drones of foreign origin is massive. A ban on their usage when there are domestic substitutes available and easy to access would put the extra financial burden on the farmers already struggling with tight margins and market uncertainty. The association added that drastic shifts may roll back continued investments in agro tech solutions, which will aid in productivity and sustainability.

Modern tools are the key to competitiveness, said the ASA president Scott Metziger, a farmer in Ohio who grows soybeans. Though he did not disregard the issue of national security, he is encouraging policymakers to evaluate the practical implications for the farmers who daily depend on the tools of agro tech. He observed that it would be risky to eliminate proven technology and create more costs and uncertainty at a crucial period.

ASA has been actively promoting policies that protect access by farmers to some of the core technologies, such as drones, broadband, GPS and spectrum resources, on which contemporary agriculture depends. The group is asking federal agencies to liaise with the agricultural players to solve security issues without interfering with agro tech innovation and on-farm efficiency.

The proposal that the association put across was the necessity of balanced policymaking to make the farmers in the U.S. globally competitive and at the same time continue enjoying the privileges of advanced agricultural technologies.