On a busy Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota lawmakers pushed through a bipartisan rescue plan for the state’s dairy sector, reshaping how relief dollars are handed out and who makes the calls on them. The measure cleared the legislature and now heads to Gov. Tim Walz, who will decide whether it becomes law.
According to KNSI, the bill rewrites the Dairy Assistance, Investment and Relief Initiative, better known as DAIRI, by tweaking eligibility rules and shifting program oversight to open the door wider for smaller and newer dairy operations. The outlet notes Sen. Aric Putnam of the St. Cloud area as a co-author, and reports that the changes are expected to ripple out to farmers, researchers, and agricultural educators statewide.
Funding lines and program changes
The legislation lays out a series of targeted appropriations: about $10.7 million a year for the agriculture research, education and technology transfer program, $600,000 annually for the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station rapid-response fund, up to $1 million a year for disease research, and $2.25 million a year for the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council. It also sets aside a one-time $4 million second-year appropriation for DAIRI grants to support dairies that enroll in the federal Dairy Margin Coverage program and caps DAIRI payments at 5 million pounds of milk per participating farm. Those allocations, along with the updated DAIRI eligibility rules, are spelled out in the bill language posted by the Minnesota House.
Senate Agriculture Chair Aric Putnam described the package as “absolutely essential” for helping producers ride out low milk prices and rising input costs, according to Brownfield Ag News. Brownfield also reported that the Senate signed off on the measure unanimously earlier this month, a talking point backers have leaned on to highlight its bipartisan appeal.
If Gov. Walz signs off, state officials will begin rolling out the revised funding streams and program rules, with several appropriations available until June 30, 2027, under the bill’s language. Producers looking for DAIRI support will have to hit the enrollment and production-history benchmarks laid out in the legislation, with the commissioner and the Department of Agriculture charged with overseeing how it all plays out.
