This paper presents an analysis of the irrigated area in Ceará State (Brazil) based on the total area and irrigation methods. Surface irrigation is the most used method (61.2% of agricultural farms), followed by sprinkler (37.2%) and the other methods (12.6%). The major irrigated area is located in farms between 100 and 1,000 ha, corresponding to 30.4% of the total irrigated area of the state, while farms larger than 10,000 ha represent only 1.3%. The Agricultural Poles are responsible for 61.7% (68,753 ha) of the total irrigated area of the state (108,998 ha) and the Lower Jaguaribe Agricultural Pole is the largest one (34.4%), while Lower Acaraú Agricultural Pole is the smallest one (5.8%). Surface irrigation is also the most used in the Agricultural Poles (60% of the cultivated farms), followed by sprinkler (33.9%) and the other methods (13.5%), also predominating in relation to the groups of total area.
irrigation; irrigated area; agricultural pole
