Sprinkler systems are the most popular type of irrigation

This year’s agricultural census included a module on irrigation practices, and drought and flood management strategies. This module was included to help capture evidence to support strategic monitoring of climate change resilience on farms.  

Of the 18,818 agricultural holdings that responded to the June Agricultural Census 2025, 1,761 (9%) responded to at least one of the module questions. Of these, 838 holdings responded to the first module question, while 1,433 holdings responded to the second question. This module was voluntary and would not have been applicable to all holdings. 

The first module question asked what type of irrigation systems are used on the holding. More than one option could be selected. The types of irrigation systems were: 

• Drip: water is delivered directly to plant roots through a network of tubes and emitters, reducing surface evaporation and runoff 

• Sprinkler: water is sprayed through overhead nozzles or rotating heads, distributing moisture evenly across the field in controlled droplets 

• Surface/Flood: water is released onto the field and allowed to flow freely, soaking into the soil as it moves, requiring levelled land for even distribution 

• Furrow: water is channelled through shallow trenches or furrows between crop rows, gradually seeping into the soil to hydrate the plants 

• Micro-irrigation: a low-pressure system that delivers water in small, controlled amounts directly to the base of plants using fine nozzles or emitters 

Figure 17: Type of irrigation system used, percentage of total responses, 2025. Note a holding may select more than one option. 

Of the 951 responses from 838 holdings, sprinkler systems were the most common type of irrigation method used (35%), followed by surface/flood (29%), and drip systems (14%). A smaller proportion used furrow (7%) and micro-irrigation (5%), while 9% reported using other methods, the most common of which was manual watering. 

Figure 18: Type of irrigation, drought, or flood protection measure used, percentage of total responses, 2025. Note a holding may select more than one option.

The second module question asked whether specific irrigation, drought, or flood protection measures had been implemented. Note the following results are shown of total responses to the second module where respondents had four measures to select from (with the option to more than one measure).  

Of the 2,016 responses from 1,433 holdings, 45% employed measures to prevent or reduce flood damage on their farm. Additionally, 30% said they have water storage facilities to support farming during drought conditions. A smaller proportion said they had adopted water saving technologies or practices (13%) or collaborated with other farmers or community members on water or flood management strategies (12%).