Drones reshape Guizhou's rugged farmlands

A drone takes farm produce out of the mountains. [Photo/Guizhou Daily]

Fragmented land parcels and transportation difficulties in Southwest Guizhou province, made up of 92.5 percent mountains and hills, have bottlenecked development for years. Today, this long-standing puzzle is being solved by drones.

The low-altitude economy is transitioning from a high-tech concept into an everyday tool in the fields, with AutoFlight completing China's first trial flight for a ton-class eVTOL on a spring tea express line in April this year.

As the low-altitude economy enters the public spotlight, supportive policies have been rolled out at both national and provincial levels. In August 2025, Guizhou issued its "Three-Year Action Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Low-Altitude Economy (2025–2027)," accelerating the deployment of agricultural drone applications.

From crop monitoring and precision fertilizing to plant protection spraying, drone operations far outpace traditional manual methods, boosting farming productivity while expanding the effective reach of operations.

In Guiyang's Guanshanhu district, aerial plant protection has been underway for several years, building a multi-layered prevention and control network. Meanwhile, in Liuma town, fresh honey plums now fly across deep mountain valleys via aerial logistics, allowing them to reach coastal markets with unprecedented speed.

The Karst mountain terrain is being reshaped as drones soar over the peaks, turning geographical disadvantages into unique strengths and sparking a productivity revolution across Guizhou's landscapes.