Nearly 8,000 hectares of paddy fields have been abandoned as crops have failed because of drought in the central and highland provinces.
Nguyen Van Hoa, Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production, said drought is now far too severe in the central and highland provinces, even in the rainy season.
The agricultural sector has been badly hit and nearly 8,000 hectares of paddy fields are now abandoned.
Total paddy area this year is just 605,000 hectares.
Meantime, south-central coastal provinces are seriously short of water resulting in shrinking of 11,300 hectares of paddy fields.
The Department of Irrigation has warned the region to adopt preventative measures against drought to ensure adequate water supply for the winter-spring rice crop.
