Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and his Department officials are on a collision course over dairy cow numbers.

Department officials announced to the Food Vision Dairy Group this week that mandatory dairy stock or milk volume reduction options were on the cards.

However, the minister later contradicted this, stating that his Department has no concrete proposals for milk quotas.

Forum chair Gerry Boyle had previously insisted that any curbs on numbers would be voluntary.

The IFA has said it would legally challenge any curb on cow numbers, while the ICMSA has criticised the Department for the mixed messaging in a week where food security challenges loom large.

The dairy group will meet again on Monday but the IFA has suggested that the group should be suspended.