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Rep. Hinson says Chinese ag drones threaten U.S. food supply

A U.S. Representative from Iowa says the use of Chinese-manufactured agriculture drones could be a threat to food security.

Republican Ashley Hinson tells Brownfield the U.S. needs to push back against China’s supply of DJI spray drones.

“They have sophisticated sensing technology designed to help monitor the health of crops and direct the spray to the appropriate area,” she said. “But that also means these drones are actively collecting granular-level detail on our ag industry that can be weaponized by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).”

Hinson, along with Representatives Elise Stefanik of New York and John Moolenaar of Michigan, recently sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency demanding the agencies take action to mitigate the risks of allowing Chinese-manufactured agriculture drones to proliferate across America.

Hinson says DJI is a leading manufacturer of the nearly 10,000 registered ag spray drones in the U.S.

“It gives China leverage over our food supply which is a national security issue,” she said. “I think every farmer needs to be eyes-wide-open about the technology they are currently using on their farms.”

Hinson says the Countering CCP Drones Act, a bill that would prohibit new models of DJI drones from operating in the U.S., is included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025.