Drones Propel Rapid Growth in Mexican Agriculture

The use of drones in agriculture is growing at an annual rate of 35%, according to experts. The boom in this technology is being driven by labor shortages, climate change, water scarcity, and the need to increase yields to feed a growing population.

The Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACh) hosted the 2025 International Convention DJI-DTS Drones for Agriculture, which brought together nearly 100 leading companies in the agricultural mechanization sector from more than nine Latin American countries and China. Specialists noted that Mexico was the first country in the region to adopt drones for agriculture, followed by Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.

Gilberto de Jesús López, Researcher, UACh, stated that projections for Mexico for 2035 estimate an annual growth rate of nearly 36%, with the market expanding from US$39 million to US$650 million. “This represents a business opportunity for manufacturers, service providers, data integrators, and financial actors,” he said.

López highlighted that the primary driver of this expansion is demographic, as Mexico’s rural workforce is aging and there is a shortage of people willing to work long hours in the field with exposure to agrochemicals. “Drones allow a single person to cover several hectares in a matter of minutes. A drone can apply products up to 10 times faster than conventional spraying, while also reducing human exposure to chemicals,” he explained.

New technologies also make it easier to reach remote areas and difficult terrain. Jeffrey Dong, Sales Representative, DJI Agriculture Latin America, emphasized that in uneven terrain or high-density crops, a drone can maneuver in and out with millimeter precision, without compacting the soil or damaging plants, as a tractor would. Regarding spraying operations, current technology integrates GPS systems, automatic dosage control, and multispectral sensors that adjust droplet size mid-flight to reduce drift caused by wind. This helps save water and agrochemicals. While traditional spraying uses between 200 and 400L/ha, a next-generation drone requires only 10 to 15L/haa.

Ángel Garduño, President, UACh, underscored that for the past five years, UACh and the company DIMASUR have joined forces to advance agricultural education, scientific innovation, connections with the productive sector, and sustainable rural development. He noted that, with DIMA’s collaboration, the first official DJI Academy for agricultural drone pilots in Latin America was established, providing ongoing training opportunities for both students and faculty at Chapingo.

López noted that nearly 3,000 agricultural drone operators have been trained in Mexico since 2022. In this regard, Josué Muñoz, Operations Coordinator at DIMASUR, highlighted that they have been in contact with various areas of the Mexican government to train producers of all levels in the use of such technologies, aiming to show them the benefits drones can bring to their crops.

Finally, López shared applied results from studies on corn, where they were able to quantify 78% of plants in complex plots due to topography. They have also carried out work to determine flowering stages in pineapple crops using intelligent analysis to estimate yields and schedule more uniform harvests. He stressed that with the use of different types of drones, more than 300 types of crops can be treated. In Mexico, they are currently used for corn, potatoes, sugarcane, berries, and agave, as well as orchards such as avocado, citrus, mango, and bananas among others.