| Irrigation in Mexico | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 1,909,000 km2 |
| Agricultural land | 56% |
| Cultivated area equipped for irrigation | 22.9% |
| Irrigated area | 55,000 km2 |
| Systems |
|
| Share of irrigated agriculture in GDP | ~50% |
| Water sources for irrigation | Surface water (67%) and groundwater (33%) |
Mexico, a classified arid and semi-arid country, has a total land area of 2 million square kilometres, 23% of which is equipped for irrigated agriculture. The agricultural sector plays an important role in the economic development of the country accounting for 8.4 of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 23% of the economically active population. Irrigated agriculture contributes about 50% of the total value of agricultural production and accounts for about 70% of agriculture exports. Mexico's government initiated a number of structural reforms in the water sector aimed to introduce modern water management and irrigation.