SIGNIFICANT rainfall is needed in southern NSW within six weeks or fruit and vegetable prices will rise, the State Government says.

Official drought figures for February released today showed 56.5 per cent of the state was in drought, down only 0.1 of a percentage point from last month's figure.

The area of the NSW considered marginal was down from 15.7 per cent to 9.6 per cent.

Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said February saw NSW divided into two halves, very dry in the south and wet in the north.

He said urgent rain was needed in the south, with some farmers around Wagga Wagga and Griffith having to hand-feed livestock.

"The Riverina is the food bowl of Australia, it produces very large quantities of fruit and vegetables and also our rice,'' Mr Macdonald saidin Sydney.

"They will need rainfall in the south or we will get significant impacts on fruit and vegetable prices.''

If the dry conditions continued in the south, farmers would lose billions of dollars in revenue, Mr Macdonald said.

"I would think that if the south was hit (by drought) again we are going to face up to another $2 billion in lost income across the state,'' he said.

"It's early days, we need rainfall in the state prior to late April to get those crops working again.''

AAP