Five young farmers in the UK will get fully funded training to become agricultural drone pilots under a new scholarship backed by Defra funding, Farmers Weekly reports. The Young Farmers Spray Drone Scholarship, launched by AutoSpray Systems and the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYFC), will give five Young Farmers' Club members training approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and accredited by Lantra.
Each successful applicant gets a five-day package; the scholarship is worth £17,500 in total. The course covers remote pilot competence, flight training and professional accreditation, aiming to give participants the qualifications to take on commercial drone spraying and spreading work.
"Drone spraying isn't a futuristic concept. It's happening in British fields right now," said Robert Pearson, chief executive of AutoSpray Systems, adding that the scholarship removes the financial and regulatory hurdles for five young people to start drone operations in their regions. Nathan Greenwood, chair of NFYFC's YFC AGRI, said it was a chance to future-proof a career or launch a precision contracting business. Farming minister Stephen Morgan said the grant would open the door to new approaches to farming.
Applications opened on 6 October. Applicants must explain how they would use drone spraying and spreading qualifications, what the technology could bring to farms or their community and how the training would help their career, and a panel from farming, agronomy, drone operations and contracting will judge them. The course runs in March 2027, preceded by webinars, online material and regional field demonstrations for Young Farmers' Clubs.
Photo: US Forest Service / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Farmers Weekly
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