Farmers in Bati, Takeo, said canal water is lower than in a normal wet season. Some rice at the tail of the canals is already showing dry leaves.
The provincial water office said district reservoirs are below the five-year average because August rain was uneven from commune to commune. Higher fields received less water than lower ones.
A commune chief in Bati asked for extra openings from the main canal this week. Some farmers rented their own pumps, but fuel has raised the cost.
The province will send pumps to the driest communes and asked farmers to save water at night. Disputes between villages should be settled in commune meetings.
The agriculture office advised delaying extra seeding where canals have gone dry. If heavier rain comes in early September, the situation may ease without large-scale pumping.
