Special Report
Farmers ask about drone return on investment
Farmers are maintaining interest in unmanned aerial vehicles, but demonstrations held this week at the Farm Progress Show indicate that the questions are changing. Drones that were looked at range from $1,100 hobbyist models, to those carrying $65,000 worth of sophistication and another $20,000 in camera gear. That prompts questions about farmers’ return on investment, said Stu Ellis, manager of the FPS drone demonstrations.
“How long do batteries last, how many acres can I cover in a battery, how many acres can I cover in a day or an hour,” Ellis told Brownfield Ag News in an interview, repeating the questions farmers are asking. “What will it really show?”
Ellis says issues of public and aviation safety, as well as privacy have slowed the development of regulations that would allow wider use of drones in agriculture.
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