What Growers Are Telling the Global Irrigation Industry
A new Komet Irrigation survey of growers, OEMs and irrigation professionals conducted during Agritechnica suggests irrigation decision-makers are fundamentally rethinking what they expect from irrigation.
As Smart Irrigation Month draws to a close, new insights gathered by Komet Irrigation during Agritechnica, Europe’s leading agricultural machinery exhibition, through its Experience Hub competition involving growers, OEMs and irrigation professionals, reveal a significant shift in how farmers are thinking about irrigation investment.
When asked about the biggest pressures facing their businesses, 33% of respondents identified increasing regulation as their primary concern, followed by 29% citing price volatility, 23% highlighting rising energy, fertilizer and water costs, and 15% pointing to labor shortages. More than half of respondents also ranked water efficiency, energy savings, droplet uniformity and adaptability as equally important considerations when evaluating pivot irrigation technologies.
For Komet Irrigation, the findings reflect a broader transformation taking place across agriculture.
“The conversation has changed,” says Andree Groos, CEO of Komet Irrigation. “For decades, irrigation was about moving water. Today, it’s about helping farmers make better decisions about water.”
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The findings reflect broader shifts taking place across global agriculture. Water security has become a strategic priority. Climate variability is increasing pressure on every growing season. Input costs remain volatile while environmental regulation continues to evolve. Together, these forces are changing what growers expect from irrigation – and what the industry must deliver.
Rather than viewing irrigation simply as equipment, growers increasingly see it as a strategic investment that influences profitability, resource efficiency and long-term resilience.
This shift is also reshaping the irrigation industry itself.
Across the global irrigation sector, companies continue investing despite softer conditions in several key markets – reinforcing confidence that today’s slowdown is cyclical rather than structural. Increasingly, industry leaders are positioning around water stewardship, resilience and productivity rather than irrigation hardware alone.
Komet has been preparing for this transition for several years.
Founded in Austria more than seventy years ago, Komet has continually evolved alongside agriculture – from pioneering precision sprinkler technologies to today’s investment in application engineering, digital capability and irrigation performance intelligence.
That evolution became tangible earlier this year through the launch of Komet’s Application Engineering & Digital Systems division and the opening of the Komet Experience Hub in Brazil, creating new capability to better understand irrigation performance under real-world operating conditions.
“We’ve always believed that great engineering starts by understanding the challenges farmers face in the field,” says Groos. “Our responsibility today goes beyond developing outstanding products. It’s about helping customers make smarter decisions, use water more effectively and unlock greater value from every irrigation system.”
As food production systems face mounting pressure while relying on fewer natural resources, precision irrigation is becoming central to improving productivity while protecting water, energy and operational efficiency. Technology, engineering and practical field knowledge are becoming inseparable, with data and performance intelligence playing a growing role in helping farmers navigate uncertainty.
For Komet, the survey findings offer more than a snapshot of current market sentiment – they reinforce where the industry is heading.
“Precision irrigation is transitioning from a hardware-driven industry to one increasingly defined by water stewardship, resilience and informed decision-making,” concludes Groos. “That’s an exciting opportunity for our industry. The companies that will create the greatest value in the future won’t simply move water more efficiently – they’ll help farmers use it more intelligently.”
As Smart Irrigation Month concludes, one message is becoming increasingly clear: the next era of irrigation will be defined not only by engineering excellence, but by the confidence it gives farmers to make better decisions every day.
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