Tin Htut Oo, director general of the Agriculture Ministry, said authorities were closely monitoring the situation in the region, “but there is no cause for concern in Myanmar” because reservoirs are full from rainfall last year and there are no reports of crop damage.

Farmers rely on the nation’s main river, the Irrawaddy, which is still discharging more water annually than it normally does. Crops grown this time of year, including beans and nuts, are already being harvested, he added.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Myanmar’s economy, accounting for up to 48 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. More than 70 percent of Myanmar’s 54 million people are farmers.

Tun Lwin, director of the meteorological department, said the country had a normal amount of rainfall and even flooding during the monsoon season from mid-May through October.

In neighboring Thailand, the drought has hit 63 of the country’s 76 provinces and affected 9.2 million people, making it one of the worst dry spells in recent memory.