The Brazilian agricultural aviation fleet had 2,115 aircraft in 2017, 1.5% more than in 2016. Over the last ten years, the growth has been impressive: 46.2%. Brazil now ranks second only to the United States, which has 3,600 agricultural aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The data was presented by the National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies, compiled from information collected in the Brazilian Aeronautical Registry (RAB) of the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
Of the total aircraft, 2,108 are airplanes and seven are helicopters. Mato Grosso is the state with the largest fleet: 464 aircraft, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (427) and São Paulo (312). Minas Gerais had the highest growth (15.5%), from 71 aircraft in 2016 to 82 last year.
Agricultural fleets are used for the application of fertilizers, sowing, and crop treatment. They also facilitate the application of chemicals and can assist in firefighting.