The main ones are located in the states of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul. To improve the rural extension support, especially to those fanners still not linked to the ATER system, the Federal Government created a National Agency for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ANATER) in 2013. Its role is more oriented to the supply of inputs and technical assistance to the farmers but agricultural research in the private sector is also growing (seeds, equipment, machines, feed, agrochemicals, etc.).