Unionist threats to collapse the North's power sharing institutions will jeopardise efforts to lift bans on livestock exports, the Agriculture Minister has said.
In a debate on the North's Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), Ms Br∅d Rodgers accused unionists of engaging in "political stunts" by trying to bring down the Executive and suspend the Assembly.
Ms Rodgers said she and her officials were making progress in their efforts to secure the lifting of the EU ban on beef exports which was put in place after foot-and- mouth outbreaks.
If the Assembly were to be suspended, the North would lose its independent voice in such negotiations, she said.
Responding to calls from Mr Edwin Poots of the DUP to have exports reopened, Ms Rodgers said: "It would be extremely unfortunate if because of his (Mr Poots) party's point of view and what is happening at the moment, if I were not in a position to do just that when the time comes.
"The agriculture industry is in a very serious situation. We have been through very difficult times and it is extremely important that we should be in a position to bring forward all of those issues as soon as possible," she said.
"It would certainly not be in the interests of the Northern Ireland industry if the case for low incidence is not being pursued by a local minister as I have pursued it," she said.
Dr Ian Paisley, the DUP leader and chairman of the Agriculture Committee which had produced the report under discussion, accused Ms Rodgers of playing politics with the issue. He also said the SDLP had an opportunity on Monday to save the political institutions by backing unionist motions to exclude Sinn FΘin from the Executive.
The Assembly heard the committee report voiced serious concerns over links between the LMC and meat processors. Members from all parties voiced fears that these links worked against the interests of the North's farmers. The report criticised the LMC for "appearing too cosy" with processors.