2018 July, Heilongjiang China - XAG observes a rising demand for plant protection UAS in northeast part of China, with number of P series units operating in the region growing rapidly during farming season this year.

Heilongjiang Province, along with Liaoning and Jilin Province as the Northeast region in China, is one of the major market for plant protection aviations. The number of UAVs, operating area, coverage and other aspects has far exceed other regions of the country. Compared with 2017, the agricultural UAV market has developed and changed rapidly this year.

The number of agricultural UAVs in Heilongjiang Province in 2017 was very small, back then it was difficult to carry out large-scale plant protection operations covering the whole province. However,  the number of UAVs has grown significantly starting from this year’s operating season. XFIS data indicates with XAG P series plant protection UAS alone, there’s more than 1000 units operating in the region.

Since the beginning of the operating season in May 2018, the total operating area in Heilongjiang has exceeded 0.6 million ha. , and Heilongjiang has become the first province in China to break through such coverage in the area of UAV plant protection operations. It is estimated that the total operation area of the region will reach up to 1.6 million ha. this year, but it is far from covering the demand of 16 million ha. cultivated land in Heilongjiang.

China is entering an ageing society. In Heilongjiang Province for example, the number of people over 65 years of age is 4.558 million, and with forecast increase of 1 million in 10 years, accounting for 12 percent of the population. 

With the ageing of the rural population and the sharp reduction of the labor force, the stable plant protection market will attract more wait-and-see people to join in with the higher situation of UAS plant protection this year. 

It is expected that in 2019, the plant protection UAS market will usher in a bigger explosion, a significant increase will happen to both the number of plant protection UASs and the coverage of operation.