Value of the Agricultural Aerial Application Industry in the United States Delineated by Crops Grown and by State: A Counterfactual Study

Agricultural aerial application industry in the United States provides important services for farmers and the food distribution channel. According to a 2019 National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) survey, the U.S. agricultural aviation industry treats about 127 million acres of cropland each year. It is important to determine how the state, regional, and national economies would be affected should such an industry become displaced. All U.S. states are evaluated based on the top five produced crops. Data for 2019 provided by the National Agricultural Aviation Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be used to develop a counterfactual revenue reduction stochastic simulation model to estimate the value of the agricultural aerial application industry for each State’s economy. Analysis shows a 9.19% loss of producer revenue and a 27% loss of input sector revenue with the absence of agricultural aerial applications to United States. The results will aid decision making for applicators, regulators, and legislators.