PERMISSION TO FLY

XAG Agricultural Drones, P40 and V40, have been granted the UK's first-ever Operational Authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for agricultural spraying operations.

With the efforts of XAG's partner in the UK, AutoSpray Systems, drone spraying and spreading on farms has now become legal in the UK.

Service Dealer contacted AutoSpray Systems, asking what their route to market will be for these drones? CEO Rob Person told us, "We sell through re-sellers, of which we currently have two.  As things stand, in such an new market, that is probably sufficient but in due course, as the market grows, we may well require more."

In the UK, the application of drones is strictly regulated by the CAA. A drone's takeoff weight was limited to under 25kg, and dropping materials from drones is also prohibited. XAG say that although farmers have a growing demand for intelligent production tools, agricultural drones were not permitted for use on UK farmland. 

This change has come with the release of the UK Government's ambition statement and vision for commercial drones. The CAA started to consider granting Operational Authorization to heavier spray drones.

XAG say their autonomous drones for agriculture can spray and spread precisely straight to the target. They not only conform to the operational safety standards, but the company also argue they help farmers boost yields with less input.

A spokesperson for XAG said, "Drones deliver clear environmental benefits in agriculture. Running on batteries, the electric XAG Agricultural Drone reduces diesel use and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. It is designed for precision, with RTK centimeter-level navigation, to decrease the amount of chemicals used. Also, aerial operations protect the soil from compaction. Typical applications for drones include plant protection spraying, fertilizer spreading, broadcast sowing, and greenhouse shading."

Since cooperating with Harper Adams University in research on precision agriculture in 2018, XAG say they have never stopped exploring the UK drone market. The granting of Operational Authorization they say marks a significant change meaning that agricultural drones can officially be used in the country.