Spain’s food and drink industry made a rare call for the government to grant it priority access to water amid a drought that’s threatening food supplies in the southern European country.

“It’s essential that the food and beverage industry receives special treatment in these serious circumstances and has preferential access to water in order to guarantee a stable and safe supply of food and beverages,” Fiab General Director Mauricio García de Quevedo said in a statement.

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The government should develop new water interconnections and transfers between basins and invest in expanding and modernizing water storage as well as irrigation infrastructure, Fiab, the federation that represents the food industry, said in the statement. Fiab also called for increased water reuse and the development of desalination projects, which involve removing salt and minerals from seawater.

Declining rainfall and the ongoing drought have put farmers under a huge strain in 2023, with cereal crops and cattle particularly affected by the lack of water. In May, the government announced a €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) drought response plan to help farmers and avoid food shortages.