Many Canadian farmers are eager to use drones to spray pesticides — already common in the United States — but industry groups say slow regulatory approvals are leaving the country years behind its competitors.
The Alberta Federation of Agriculture is pushing for a national strategy to fast-track pesticide products for drone spraying. The organization says current rules are putting local farmers at a competitive disadvantage and it believes using drones to spray pesticides could cut farmers’ costs and allow them to be more surgical in how they spray without disturbing nearby crops.
Aaron Stein, executive director of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, which represents 35,000 producers, said the competitive gap is not about drone technology itself but the approval process surrounding pesticides.
“The core difference between Canada and the U.S. is, in Canada, the pesticides or herbicides, fungicides, larvicides, they’re all approved by the PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency),” he said, which operates under Health Canada.
Stein said approvals come about too slowly, and pesticide labels are required to specify if they can be sprayed by a drone — most can’t.
“It’s quite an arduous process to go through Health Canada and the PMRA to get something approved,” he said.
While Transport Canada oversees certification and flight rules for drone pilots, Stein said he believes both Transport Canada and the PMRA “have not been working the best they can together and improving things.”
When it comes to using drones to spray pesticides, he said the rules are more flexible in the U.S. where drones are treated much in the same way as traditional crop dusters.
“They basically said, by extension, a drone is just a remote airplane, so it should be the same.”
Because of that, Stein said American farmers have access to hundreds of chemicals that can be sprayed by drones, while in Canada, only a handful of those chemicals are approved to be sprayed that way.
“None of those are widely applicable to mainstream crops,” he said, adding they are limited to niche crops rather than industrial-scale crops like canola.
Stein said the AFA has also heard similar concerns from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and both groups are working on a national strategy to put before the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
“We have a national strategy and framework bringing together the Ministry of Transport, the PMRA,” calling for a clearer pathway to approve pesticides, he said. The proposal is expected to be voted on at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual general meeting, which is taking place in Ottawa later this month.
Ongoing scientific review
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Health Canada said the department “takes the concerns seriously and recognizes that they are aligned with a recommendation from the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in December 2025,” which called for allowing drone use when a product is already approved for aerial spraying.
Health Canada said the drone-specific restriction was originally introduced due to limited RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) data and a lack of information about potential risks.
“There are currently seven pesticides registered in Canada,” the department said.
Health Canada acknowledged drones may give growers more flexibility and advantages over conventional spraying methods, adding it is working with Transport Canada, provinces and territories to develop training and certification for safe and effective pesticide application by drone.
The department said it has obtained new scientific data on food residue levels and environmental risks linked to RPAS use, which is being considered as part of its review.
“We expect to be in a position to issue a decision regarding drone application (where aerial use is already authorized) in the coming months, following the completion of our scientific review,” Health Canada said.
CBC News reached out to Transport Canada for comment on the concerns raised. In a response, the department said it published regulatory amendments last year to make it easier to use drones in the agricultural sector.
Sooner than later
Nichole Neubauer, a farmer and rancher in southeastern Alberta, said she would welcome policy changes that would allow for more efficient spot treatments on her farm.
“I would like to see it happen soon,” she said.
“Obviously there’s a lot of enhancement to both environmental and producer safety because we wouldn’t be needing to use as much chemical.”
Justin Schwab, a central Alberta farmer, said he believes drone technology has potential but also still has some way to go.
“I kind of have mixed feelings about this,” he said. “I think it would be an advantage, … [but] I don’t think it’s gonna be night-and-day advantage.”
Schwab said while he believes drones could help target small problem areas, they wouldn’t completely replace conventional ground sprayers.
Not there yet
Russell Milk, a remote sensing specialist at Olds College Centre of Innovation, called for a balanced approach when it comes to allowing drones to be used to spray pesticides.
“It does put producers at a sort of global disadvantage compared to those who regularly use that technology,” he said.
“But at the same time, I also really respect the idea that the PMRA has a lot of environmental considerations, which are important when you’re talking about chemical spraying.”
Milk said he agrees with the PMRA’s process of considering approvals on a case-by-case basis, but believes the process could move faster by using data from other trusted countries and partners.
“Certainly there is a middle ground that exists, but I think we’re just not really at that point just yet,” Milk said.
