Prime Minister pledges more funding for drought-hit Ninh Thuan

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed to give additional funding for the central province of Ninh Thuan while working with local authorities on Monday to counter the effects of drought on the local area. Since the 2014 summer-autumn crop, most local areas have dried up with nearly 4,000 households in six districts facing water shortages.

Farmers have halted the sowing of 6,100 hectares of the winter-spring crop—or 30.27 percent of the total area—while around 300 domestic animals have died. The government donated 300 tonnes of rice and 40 billion VND (1.9 million USD) to buy water, food and new crops for affected families.

During the visit, the prime minister expressed concerns on the lingering drought and asked Ninh Thuan to continue assisting locals, including food and water, to minimise losses.