Agricultural drones attract young people and create new job opportunities in the field

The expansion of the use of agricultural drones has brought a new generation closer to rural activity in Brazil. The equipment, used in operations such as crop spraying, transformed tasks that previously depended on manual labor and gave rise to new professional opportunities, such as drone piloting and the provision of services for rural properties. The phenomenon takes place within a scenario of strength in Brazilian agribusiness. According to data from the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), the agricultural sector grew 11.7% in 2025 and accounted for a third of all economic growth in the country in the year. The share of agriculture in GDP reached 7.5%, the highest level since 1996. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) registered record agribusiness exports in the period, which totaled US$ 169.2 billion, equivalent to 48.5% of everything Brazil exported. This force is supported by around 28.4 million workers, according to a survey by CNA Brasil in partnership with Embrapa. New generation is increasingly present in the field based on technological resources (Photo: DJI/Disclosure) Technology that redesigns the field workforce It is in the scenario of expanding demand and flexible work based on new technologies that the scenario in the field has been changed. Since arriving on the Brazilian market in 2019, DJI Agriculture has trained more than 20,000 certified pilots in the country, with support from a network of more than 400 technical assistance points spread across 27 states. Demand for equipment jumped more than 30 times between 2021 and 2025. It is in this expanding market that ADS Drones acts as one of DJI Agriculture's main official partners in Brazil, with authorized sales and distribution of the brand's agricultural drones. The company closely monitors the technological transformation of the field, offering equipment that contributes to making agricultural operations more efficient and adapted to the new demands of the sector. A sample survey by the company, carried out in 2026, showed that young people under 30 already represent more than 40% of users, while those under 50 make up 85% of the total. For the director of DJI Agriculture in Brazil, Stefan Wang, the movement represents that young people have returned to the interior, and taken technology with them. "The research shows that more than 75% of our users don't just use the drone on their own property: they also provide spraying services to neighboring farms. This shows that agricultural drones are no longer a tool just for their own production and are becoming a new model of service provision in the field. This gives young people the chance to participate in agriculture through technology and services, and creates space to grow: to return home, open a business, generate employment and income", says the director. Still according to the director, the transformation is also linked to productivity gains. DJI's most advanced model, the T100 Dual Battery, has a maximum operational capacity of 50 hectares per hour, which reduces tasks that previously required days of intense physical effort to just a few hours. "Drones' precision spraying also saves more water and avoids crushing plants, which directly helps increase productivity. Additionally, drones allow for nighttime operation and give operators more flexibility to deal with extreme weather conditions or shorter application windows," adds Wang. The producer at the center of technological innovation The changes were evident during a meeting promoted by DJI Agriculture in Itajaí, which was attended by rural producers, experts and sector representatives. The event aimed to discuss how technology has transformed agribusiness and become a decisive factor in keeping new generations in the field. Rural producer Eduarda Lizardo, 21 years old, from Moreira Sales (PR), had her first contact with agricultural drones in 2023 and found a new way of working. Daughter of farmers, she saw in technology the chance to facilitate activities that, for more than two decades, were done manually by her father. On the family property, dedicated to cassava cultivation, drones began to play an important role in combating pests, with more agile and precise aerial spraying, which reduces direct contact with the crop. In addition to being a producer, Eduarda also works as a digital influencer in agribusiness and considers innovation one of the main factors in keeping young people in the field: “The drone is a facilitating agent. It solves many day-to-day challenges in the field", she states. Eduarda Lizardo found a new way of working using drones (Photo: DJI/Disclosure) Rural producer Eduarda Lizardo, 21 years old, from Moreira Sales (PR), had her first contact with agricultural drones in 2023 and found a new way of working. Daughter of farmers, she saw in technology the chance to facilitate activities that, for more than two decades, were done manually by her father. On the family property, dedicated to cassava cultivation, drones began to play an important role in combating pests, with more agile and precise aerial spraying, which reduces direct contact with the crop. In addition to being a producer, Eduarda also works as a digital influencer in agribusiness and considers innovation one of the main factors in keeping young people in the field: “The drone is a facilitating agent. It solves many day-to-day challenges in the field", she states. Flávia Steckert became a drone pilot to work in the field (Photo: DJI/Disclosure) Regarding the equipment presented in Itajaí, she believes that the company has closely monitored the needs of producers. The perception is shared by Flávia Steckert, 30 years old, a rural producer from Imbituba (SC). Daughter and granddaughter of farmers, she grew up in the countryside and decided to invest in professional qualifications, so she graduated in Agronomy to continue