DAIRI eligibility is expanded

Eligibility for grants under the Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025 Dairy Assistance, Investment, Relief Initiative appropriation are broadened.

The DAIRI program provides grants to dairy farmers who enroll in the USDA Farm Service Agency’s Dairy Margin Coverage program, which offers financial assistance if the margin between the price of milk and feed costs falls below a certain level.

Because the Dairy Margin Coverage program was not open for enrollment in 2024 or 2025, farmers were unable to establish eligibility for DAIRI. DMC has since opened for enrollment at the beginning of 2026. But because DAIRI participation depended on production amounts in 2022, new dairy farmers were unable to establish eligibility.

This law allows new dairy farms to establish eligibility for DAIRI grants with their farm production history cited in the farm’s DMC enrollment.

Sponsored by Rep. Nathan Nelson (R-Hinckley) and Sen. Robert Kupec (DFL-Moorhead), the law took effect April 30, 2026.

HF3508/SF3832*/CH54

SF3832* / HF3508 / CH54