In the last three months, Guangxi, the country's main sugar-growing region, had had less than half the normal amount of rain, the report said on Monday, while other parts of the region had seen almost no rain at all.

The government has earmarked 2.29 billion yuan (S$451 million) to bring water to thirsty villages, the newspaper added.

Large areas of south China are also suffering from serious drought, with water levels on two major rivers - the Gan and the Xiang - in rice-growing provinces dropping to historic lows.

China suffers water shortages of nearly 40 billion cubic metres a year which its water minister has blamed largely on global warming, state media have reported, though severe pollution and rising consumption by both farmers and booming cities have compounded shortages. -- REUTERS