Essential Service For Global Food Production, Forest Protection

The National Agricultural Aviation Association celebrated March 18 as National Ag Day and as part of the festivities, the NAAA honors the men and women of agriculture both on the ground and in the air and emphasizes the critical service that aerial application plays in global food production.

National Ag Day recognizes the important contributions that farmers, ranchers, aerial applicators and the entire spectrum of agricultural workers make to the daily lives of everyone.

Aerial applicators have been an essential tool for farmers in the  production of abundant, affordable, and safe supplies of food, fiber, and bioenergy as well as protecting the nation’s forests and controlling food- and health-threatening pests.

“The aerial application industry is integral to modern and precision agriculture, ensuring that farmers can meet the growing demands for food, fiber and biofuel,” said Andrew Moore, CEO of NAAA.

Aerial applicators treat an average of 127 million acres of farmland representing 28% of the total cropland in America to control insects and plant diseases as well as apply seeds and fertilizer that boost crop yields. And they do so with precision.

Aerial applicators are able to apply treatments at just the right time over large stretches of cropland in short amounts of time, and the benefit to yields has been well-documented over the years. High yields are essential to sustainability—American farmers are now feeding more people than ever using less land to do so.

The NAAA represents the interests and is the voice of the 1,560 small businesses in the U.S. whose owners and pilots are licensed professional commercial aerial applicators who use aircraft to greatly enhance the production of food, fiber, and biofuels, protect forest lands from pests and wildfires, and control pests that threaten all of the vital agricultural resources across the country.

FMI:  www.agaviation.org/