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As bigger and better agriculture-spraying drones are developed and sold, the U.S. risks falling behind other countries with fewer regulatory restraints, most notably China.
Drones over 55 pounds operate under rules that are separate from smaller drones, including needing individual exemptions. In 2022, the federal government granted 366 exemptions, the vast majority for agriculture-spraying applications. That was a 450% increase from 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which forecasts years of robust growth of drones over crops, orchards, etc.
