Regulations around flying drones in Canada, especially drones in the 25-150 kilogram weight class, can be complicated. In agriculture, drones that show great potential for producers fall under two different jurisdictions. The first is Transport Canada, which oversees aviation safety and security. The second is Health Canada, which is responsible for pesticide regulations and approvals.
While no changes have been announced when it comes to Health Canada, Transport Canada is in the process of developing new regulations for medium-sized Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), says Markus Weber, president of Landview Drones, in an interview at the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon, Sask.
The new regulations are expected to be beneficial to producers that are currently using drones to broadcast seed and fertilizer, says Weber.
“As far as the aviation side, it will affect those that are already legally using these drones to seed cover crops, to apply… fertilizers, whether granular or liquid, [which] can be applied legally already, and those become much easier to do when you don’t have regulatory barriers,” Weber says.
Right now, farmers need a Special Operations Flight Certificate (SOFC) to operate these drones. Once the new regulations take effect, rural operators will only need an advanced pilot certificate.
Weber sees these regulatory changes as good news for agriculture, making it easier for farmers to integrate drones into their operations with fewer bureaucratic hurdles.
Related: No approval yet for drone-applied pesticide in an ag setting
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