Nana Rukmana, Indramayu, West Java – Over 45,000 hectares of rice plants in the Indramayu and Cirebon regencies, known as the rice belt of West Java, have withered following the early arrival of the annual drought, predicted to last until November.

A tract of farmland in the region could not be planted and in some areas, young rice plants could not grow because of the drastic decrease in the water supply from three dams in the province.

"Almost all irrigation channels to farms in a number of districts in the regency are drying up because there is no water supply from the three dams," chief of the Indramayu settlement and infrastructures office Rahardjo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said that the water supply of the dams in Salam Darma, Subang regency, in Bendung Rentang, Majalengka regency, and in Jatiluhur, Purwakarta regency, had suddenly decreased because it had not rained over the last few weeks.

Rahardjo said around 20,000 hectares of rice plants had withered in the districts of Karangampel, Krangkeng, Juntinyuat, Balongan, Losarang and Kandanghaur, and farmers could do nothing as the dry season began in May, two months earlier than expected.

Chief of the local agriculture office Muhaimin said he was pessimistic that the farmers could plant the target 95,000 hectares of rice during the planting season.

"So far, only about 52,000 hectares have been planted," he said, adding that the drought would affect the regency's rice production this year.

Separately, chief of the Cirebon agriculture office Sathori Djuhaeri confirmed that the drought has damaged 25 hectares of rice fields in the regency.

"Compared to 2002, the situation is worse this year because the early drought has damaged tens of thousands of rice paddies in the regency," he said.

Thousands of villagers are also suffering from the drought, as their wells have dried up and they are running out of fresh water.

He said that the districts worst-hit by the drought were Kepetakan, Arjowinangun, North Cirebon, Kaliwedi, Panguragan and Gresik.

Kusnen, a local farmer, said that more than two hectares of rice plants on his farm had "turned yellow" because of the water crisis.