What is the U.S. Agricultural Irrigation Equipment & Fittings Market Size?

The U.S. agricultural irrigation equipment & fittings market was valued at USD 4.74 billion in 2024. This market is expected to reach USD 9.17 billion by 2035 from USD 5.04 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2035. The rising water scarcity, especially in western states, the greater focus on water-use efficiency and precision agriculture, the rising labor costs that push for automation, the growth of high-value crop production, government incentives for modern irrigation systems, the need to replace aging irrigation systems, and improvements in smart controllers and remote monitoring are all driving the use of irrigation equipment and fittings on farms, ranches, vineyards, and greenhouses across the U.S.

Market Highlights: U.S. Agricultural Irrigation Equipment & Fittings

• In terms of revenue, the U.S. agricultural irrigation equipment & fittings market is valued at USD 5.04 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 9.17 billion by 2035.
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
• The Western United States dominates the market with the largest share of 45-50% in 2025.
• The Southern Plains region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By product type, the drip/micro irrigation systems segment holds the largest market share in 2025.
• By product type, the drip/micro irrigation systems segment is also expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
• By component, the pipes & tubes segment holds the largest share of the overall market in 2025.
• By component, the valves & controllers segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By fitting type, the rigid pipe fittings segment holds the largest market share in 2025.
• By fitting type, the branch connectors segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
• By crop type, the field crops segment holds the largest share in 2025.
• By crop type, the fruits & nuts segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By farm size, the large farms (over 1,000 acres) segment holds the largest share in 2025.
• By farm size, the medium farms (100-1,000 acres) segment is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period.

Market Overview

The U.S. agricultural irrigation equipment and fittings sector covers the entire lifecycle of water-delivery hardware for farms. This includes designing, manufacturing, shipping, installing, and maintaining the equipment in the field. It ranges from traditional open-channel surface-irrigation setups to modern high-precision drip and micro-irrigation systems. The sector also encompasses pipes, fittings, connectors, valves, controllers, pumps, filters, and other accessories that make up a complete irrigation system. Throughout the United States, this equipment is used in various settings, including different climate zones, water availability conditions, types of crops, and farms of all sizes.

The market includes installations, whether converting uncultivated land into fields or replacing old equipment, to supplying retrofit parts for existing systems. Today’s irrigation kits often feature soil-moisture probes, weather-based controllers, variable-rate delivery modules, remote monitoring through apps, and connections to farm management software that adjusts water application based on the crops' real-time needs. Within the fittings segment, you’ll find PVC and CPVC pipe fittings designed for durable main-line installations, flexible pipe fittings for drip-tape setups, specialty branch connectors that direct flow from the main line to individual crop rows, and a variety of couplers, adapters, elbows, and tees that add flexibility to the system.

The overall U.S. agricultural irrigation equipment and fittings market is expected to grow as water shortages continue to affect agriculture across the country. Currently, 80% of irrigated land depends on diminishing water supplies. There is a growing awareness that improving irrigation efficiency is essential for long-term sustainability. Several factors are driving this market, including a shift from flood irrigation to pressurized delivery systems that now achieve about 85-95% efficiency, which is a significant improvement over the 50-70% efficiency of traditional surface methods. The rising cultivation of valuable specialty crops that require precise water applications, various federal and state cost-sharing programs that reduce capital expenses, an accelerating adoption of precision agricultural technology, and a shared understanding that modern irrigation infrastructure can greatly enhance farm productivity all contribute to the growth of this market.

What are the Key Trends in the U.S. Agricultural Irrigation Equipment & Fittings Market?

Transition from surface to pressurized irrigation in western states: A major trend is the quick switch from surface irrigation (flood, furrow) to pressurized systems like drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation. This is especially true in western states where water is scarce and efficiency improvements are necessary. This is most obvious in California's Central Valley, where drought and rules about groundwater are making farmers work harder to get the most out of their water. States in the Colorado River basin and the High Plains are also under similar pressures. The conversion requires a lot of money to be spent on infrastructure, such as mainline piping, pumping systems, filtration equipment, and a lot of fittings. When converting to drip, farmers put drip tape along the rows of crops. To connect the PVC mainlines to the polyethylene laterals, they need branch connectors, pressure regulators, and special fittings. This trend is making irrigation fittings very popular, with California alone converting hundreds of thousands of acres every year.

Smart irrigation technology and precision water management: Another important trend is the quick integration of smart controllers, soil moisture sensors, weather stations, and remote monitoring systems that make it possible to manage water with great accuracy. Modern controllers use real-time data from soil moisture sensors, weather stations, flow meters, and crop growth models to automatically change irrigation schedules. This can cut water use by 20% to 40% without hurting crop performance. With cloud-based platforms, you can manage things from anywhere using your smartphone. This trend is making more people want advanced valves and controllers, complex filtration systems, and special fittings that let sensors work together. Adoption is highest among growers of high-value crops, like California nut orchards and vegetable farms, where water is scarce and efficiency is very important. The trend is opening up new business opportunities for technology companies and making it necessary for irrigation systems to be able to handle precision management methods.

The U.S. agricultural irrigation equipment & fittings market was valued at USD 4.74 billion in 2024. This market is expected to reach USD 9.17 billion by 2035 from USD 5.04 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2035

Market Scope

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Water Scarcity and Drought Conditions Driving Efficiency Adoption

Persistent water scarcity in major agricultural regions, especially in western states where about 90% of irrigation water is used, is a major driver of growth. Although it irrigates 5.5 million acres and provides water to 40 million people, the Colorado River is permanently over-allocated, and drought is causing previously unheard-of water cuts. The Central Valley of California relies on groundwater and irrigation from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; subsequent droughts result in zero surface water allocations and groundwater regulation under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Water levels in some regions of the High Plains Aquifer have dropped by more than 150 feet, indicating significant depletion. Because of these factors, increasing irrigation efficiency is economically imperative. The 85–95% efficiency of drip irrigation and the 75–85% efficiency of center pivot systems provide significant gains over the 50–60% efficiency of flood irrigation. Adoption of technology is made affordable by federal cost-share programs offered through USDA NRCS, which cover 50–75% of improvement costs. The basic fact that western agricultural production is constrained by water availability guarantees a steady demand for irrigation fittings and equipment.

Opportunity

Expansion of High-Value Permanent Crops Requiring Sophisticated Infrastructure

There are many prospects for the spread of high-value permanent crops across western states, such as berries, fruit trees, tree nuts, and vineyards. Strong incentives for the best irrigation management are created by these permanent plantings, which represent multi-decade investments. California now has over 1.3 million acres of almonds, up from 900,000 acres in 2010. Each acre needs drip infrastructure, which costs between $3,000 and $5,000 per acre. Similar infrastructure is needed for similar expansions in wine grapes, walnuts, and pistachios.

Water is distributed to polyethylene lateral lines via buried PVC mainlines with branch connectors in permanent crop irrigation systems. Many miles of mainline PVC may be present in a 100-acre almond orchard, necessitating hundreds of fittings in addition to 100–200 branch connectors. For permanent crops, precision irrigation entails deficit irrigation techniques that call for complex multi-zone control systems with a large valve infrastructure and fittings. Premium irrigation investments are justified by the economic value of permanent crops (almonds, which are worth USD 5,000–8,000 per acre, and wine grapes, which are worth USD 6,000–12,000 per acre), which supports higher-value products in the market.

Product Type Insights

Why Do Drip/Micro Irrigation Systems Dominate the Market?

In 2025, the drip/micro irrigation systems segment commands the largest share of 35–40% of the overall market. The primary reasons for their dominance are their exceptional water use efficiency (85–95% application efficiency), suitability for high-value crops, adaptability to irregular field shapes, and capacity to incorporate precision agriculture technologies like fertigation and variable rate irrigation. With over 90% of new plantings using drip or micro-sprinkler systems, drip irrigation has essentially become the norm for permanent crops like grapes, citrus, pistachios, and almonds.

Component Insights

How Do Pipes & Tubes Lead the Market?

Based on component, the pipes & tubes segment holds the largest share of around 30-35% in 2025. The material costs of both rigid and flexible pipe products, the need to replace aging pipe networks, and the significant linear footage of piping needed for irrigation infrastructure are all driving the growth of this market. Irrigation pipe includes drip tape that needs to be replaced on a regular basis, polyethylene flexible pipe that serves several purposes, including lateral distribution in drip systems, and rigid PVC pipe, usually with a diameter of 2 to 12 inches, which serves as permanent mainline infrastructure.

Fitting Type Insights

Why Do Rigid Pipe Fittings Dominate the Market?

Based on fitting type, the rigid pipe fittings segment holds the largest share of around 40-45% in 2025. This is mainly due to extensive use of PVC rigid pipe in irrigation mainline infrastructure, large variety of fitting types required for system assembly, and necessity of fittings wherever pipe direction changes or branches occur. The geographic need for these pipes is primarily concentrated in irrigated western regions, where switching from surface to drip systems necessitates the installation of entirely new piping networks with numerous fittings.

However, the branch connectors segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, driven by drip irrigation expansion requiring numerous connection points between PVC mainlines and polyethylene lateral lines.

Crop Type Insights

How Do Field Crops Lead Equipment Demand?

Based on crop type, the field crops segment holds the largest share of around 35-40% in 2025. This segment includes corn, cotton, wheat, alfalfa, soybeans, sugar beets, potatoes, and rice dominating U.S. irrigated acreage. Field crops occupy approximately 70% of the 58 million irrigated acres, with concentration in western states and significant irrigation in Midwest corn, southern cotton and rice, and widespread alfalfa production. Large-scale infrastructure is necessary for field crop irrigation, with systems typically spanning 130–160 acres for quarter-mile pivots, necessitating significant mainline piping.

However, the fruits and nuts segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR through 2035, driven by continuing expansion of permanent tree crop acreage particularly in California, transition of older orchards to drip systems, premium pricing of sophisticated systems for high-value crops, and adoption of deficit irrigation requiring precise control.

Farm Size Insights

Why Do Large Farms Lead Equipment Procurement?

Based on farm size, the large farms (over 1,000 acres) segment holds the largest share of approximately 50-55% in 2025. This is mainly attributed to the large irrigated acreage, significant capital investment capacity, and operational scale that allows for full system replacements. The segment concentrates on western states where large-scale irrigated farming is prevalent, such as the Central Valley of California, which is home to typical farms with 1,000–5,000 acres, and the High Plains, where effective large-acreage management is made possible by center pivot irrigation.

The medium farm (100–1,000 acre) segment, which represents the sizeable middle tier, is anticipated to grow steadily over the forecast period. This includes family businesses, diversified farms, and numerous specialty crop operations. These farms frequently use cost-share programs and adopt proven technologies following large-farm demonstrations in order to balance efficiency demands with capital constraints.

U.S. Regional Market Insights

Western U.S. Market Dominance

The Western U.S. dominates the overall irrigation equipment and fittings market with around 45-50% share in 2025, driven by concentration of irrigated agriculture and water scarcity, making efficiency improvements essential. This region includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and New Mexico, representing approximately 75% of U.S. irrigated acreage.

California is the largest state market, with 9 million irrigated acres that produce two-thirds of fruits and nuts and one-third of vegetables in the U.S. Numerous buried PVC mainlines, drip tape systems spanning hundreds of thousands of acres, and center pivot systems are all part of the irrigation infrastructure of this state. Massive equipment demand is driven by the ongoing switch from flood to drip irrigation, and the replacement of aging infrastructure from the 1960s to 1990s.

Southern Plains Market Growth

Throughout the forecast period, the Southern Plains region is anticipated to experience the fastest CAGR. This is due to a number of factors, including the need to switch to more efficient systems due to declining Ogallala Aquifer levels, the expansion of cotton acreage under irrigation, the growing use of drip irrigation for high-value crops, and government initiatives that promote irrigation efficiency. Since groundwater depletion makes efficiency essential for operational sustainability, this region, which includes western Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, is moving toward more efficient technologies for center pivot irrigation on field crops.

Recent Developments

• April 2025 — Rivulis Irrigation introduced a new T-Tape product made with 50% recycled material enhancing sustainability for vineyards, orchards, and greenhouse crops.
• March 2025 — Toro Agricultural launched an automated drip irrigation system equipped with AI-enabled soil moisture monitoring for precision water management in drought-prone areas.
• March 2025 — Netafim USA expanded its precision irrigation solutions portfolio with new drip tape products featuring longer lateral run capabilities and enhanced clog resistance oriented to western U.S. permanent crop applications.
• February 2025 — Jain Irrigation Systems expanded their precision irrigation control solutions with integrated nutrient delivery technology tailored for California specialty crops.
• January 2025 — Rain Bird Corporation launched next-generation smart irrigation controllers with enhanced soil moisture sensor integration and cellular connectivity for remote management of large western farm operations.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Product Type

• Sprinkler Systems
• Drip/Micro Irrigation Systems
• Surface Irrigation Systems
• Center Pivot Systems
• Lateral Move Systems
• Others

By Component

• Pipes & Tubes
• Fittings & Connectors
• Valves & Controllers
• Pumps & Power Units
• Filtration Systems
• Emitters & Sprinklers
• Others

By Fitting Type

• Rigid Pipe Fittings
  • PVC Elbows
  • PVC Tees & Crosses
  • PVC Couplings
  • PVC Reducers & Adapters
  • Other Rigid Fittings
• Flexible Pipe Fittings
  • Barbed Fittings
  • Compression Fittings
  • Quick-Connect Fittings
  • Other Flexible Fittings
• Branch Connectors
  • Insert Branch Connectors
  • Saddle Branch Connectors
  • Snap-On Branch Connectors
  • Threaded Branch Connectors
• Couplers & Adapters
• Elbows & Tees
• Others

By Crop Type

• Field Crops
• Fruits & Nuts
• Vegetables
• Vineyards & Orchards
• Turf & Ornamentals
• Others

By Farm Size

• Small Farms (Less than 100 acres)
• Medium Farms (100-1,000 acres)
• Large Farms (Over 1,000 acres)

By Application

• Agricultural Irrigation
• Garden & Landscape Irrigation
• Greenhouse Irrigation
• Nursery Irrigation
• Others

By Region

• Western United States
• Midwest
• Southern Plains
• Southeast
• Northeast
• Pacific Northwest