France’s worsening drought and tightening water restrictions make smarter irrigation a strategic priority.
As another dry French summer unfolds and water restrictions intensify, the need for smarter irrigation practices in agriculture is becoming more urgent: the shift must go beyond short-term crisis response to long-term water resilience.
“Water isn’t optional. It determines both yield and quality,” Andree Groos, CEO, Komet Irrigation, explains. “Without reliable irrigation, farmers are forced to gamble on rainfall. That’s no longer viable - economically or environmentally.”
The European Union estimates droughts cost the region up to €9 billion annually. In France, Europe’s leading wheat producer and an expanding hub for fruit and vegetable farming, these impacts are tangible. The 2024 grain harvest was among the smallest in decades, and vegetable growers in regions like Pyrénées-Orientales and Vendée are navigating complex irrigation restrictions. Access to water is now often tied to a farmer’s ability to demonstrate efficiency and responsible use.
Irrigation must be redefined as an essential infrastructure, especially in regions increasingly affected by climate stress. Farmers need systems that help them produce more with less. We have to make the best use of every drop, that’s where the future lies.
Solutions that improve irrigation efficiency are becoming critical for meeting both environmental regulations and productivity goals. Precision hardware, like sprinkler and end-gun systems tailored for pivot irrigation, can play a key role in reducing water losses, especially in open-field crops like maize, wheat, and vegetables. These technologies focus on delivering uniform water coverage with minimal evaporation, critically in windy or arid conditions.
Irrigation is also becoming central to agricultural policy. Under France’s national CAP strategic plan, farmers in drought-sensitive basins like Adour-Garonne and Rhône-Méditerranée must show measurable water savings to remain eligible for subsidies. Smart irrigation systems can support that goal, reducing water use by 25 - 50% and helping farmers align with both compliance and profitability targets.
Groos frames irrigation as a matter of resilience as much as resource use. “In a climate where uncertainty is the only constant, irrigation gives farmers a level of control they otherwise don’t have,” he notes. “It’s not a luxury, it’s fundamental to food security.”
photo credit : Komet
This perspective reflects broader EU ambitions to link innovation with sustainability in agriculture. Technologies that support precision and stewardship align closely with this vision, offering farmers a practical way to respond to growing environmental and market pressures.
Groos also sees the transition as cultural. “We need to stop viewing farmers as water users and start recognizing them as water managers,” he says. “They’re part of the solution, especially when equipped with the right tools and knowledge.”
French farmers face difficult choices about investing in modern irrigation systems and the stakes go beyond profit. Food doesn’t grow on good intentions. For a sustainable future for French agriculture, systems that that make that water go further must be supported.
