HANOI, March 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Drought, caused by little rainfall during the dry season, is threatening the livelihood of Vietnamese farmers and their winter-spring rice crops, the Vietnam News reported Tuesday.

    Some 1,000 families in the northern Son La province now have noclean water for daily use, whereas 1,600 hectares of rice and maize in central highlands Gia Lai province are withering due to drought.

    The drought, which is forecast to last to the end of next month, has also posed great threat to forests. Thousands of hectares of cajuput trees in several southern provinces are in risks of being on fire.

    Local officials have called for farmers to dredge canals, dig wells and preserve water. Rice fields have received priority in receiving water.

    Vietnam has so far this year poured 55.6 billion Vietnamese dong(3.5 million US dollars), more than in previous years, into dealing with drought, the paper said. Enditem