A file photo of an agricultural drone. [Photo: tech.ifeng.com]

China's largest commercial drone manufacturer is setting up a vast service network to expand the use of agriculture-specific unmanned aerial vehicles in the country.

The Shenzhen-based DJI Innovation Technology Corporation said it will train 10-thousand people across the country to operate the drones.

It will also set up 100 after-sales service centers and offer subsidies to the same number of people to start a business in farm drones.

The company says its agricultural drone can load 10 kilograms of pesticides and spray an area of up to four hectares per hour.

It says the drone's work efficiency can reach more than 40 times that of a human, so it will help to address the shortage of workers in rural areas.

Industry statistics show penetration rate of agricultural drones in China is only 3 percent, compared with 50 percent in the United States and Japan, so there is a huge potential for growth.