The National Milk Producers Federation last week filed a citizen petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, outlining a labeling solution to the use of dairy terms on non-dairy products as the agency considers public input from a recently concluded comment period. The petition reinforces current FDA labeling regulations, with some additional clarification, to show how marketplace transparency can be enhanced and consumer harm from confusion over nutritional content can be reduced, according to NMPF. Federation Executive Vice President Tom Balmer says the petitions “lays out a constructive solution to the false and misleading labeling practices existing in the marketplace today.” In its petition, NMPF urges FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to “Take prompt enforcement action against misbranded non-dairy foods that substitute for and resemble reference standardized dairy foods.” The petition also points to long-standing rules that provide for using the words “substitute” or “alternative” in conjunction with a dairy term when such products are deemed nutritionally equivalent to the dairy products they reference.

The United States, Canada and Mexico are seeking measures to prevent the spread of African swine fever to North America. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Reuters “it’s important that we function together as one,” in speaking on the effort to keep the disease from spreading. African swine fever has spread through China’s hog populations and parts of Europe, sparking fear of further spread globally. Market analysts say if the disease spreads to the United States, it could curb shipments in the $6.5 billion export market for American pork. The highly contagious disease can cause death for hogs in just two days. The disease is not harmful to humans, but there is no vaccine for hogs and transmission of the disease can occur easily through contact between animals, or through contaminated feed, and even humans traveling from a contaminated site to an uncontaminated site.

The Trump administration has pledged to finish a proposal allowing year-round E15 sales by the summer driving season, but one Midwestern governor is skeptical. Nebraska Governor Pete Rickets told Bloomberg News he doesn’t expect the rule to be finished by Memorial Day, when the summer driving season begins. The Environmental Protection Agency is working quickly to move the proposal, yet to be released and delayed by the government shutdown. The proposal would eliminate barriers that prohibit year-round sales of E15 fuels, gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol. Ricketts applauded the E15 move when it was announced in October, as the proposal would boost ethanol consumption at a time of stale margins for the ethanol industry. Ricketts told Bloomberg News he spoke with EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler about three weeks ago to encourage him to get the E15 change “done as quickly as possible.” The regulatory process including publishing of the rule and comment period can take four to five months.

The National Pork Producers Federation is urging the Department of Agriculture to assume regulatory oversight of gene editing for livestock. The call from NPPC follows the slow pace of developing a regulatory framework at the Food and Drug Administration. NPPC says the process is “stalled” at FDA, and that “USDA is best equipped to oversee gene editing for livestock production” according to NPPC President Jim Heimerl (Hi’-merle). NPPC says gene editing accelerates genetic improvements that could be realized over long periods of time through breeding. For example, it allows for simple changes in a pig’s native genetic structure without introducing genes from another species. Emerging applications for the pork industry include raising pigs resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, a highly contagious swine disease that causes significant animal suffering and costs pork producers worldwide billions of dollars. Despite no statutory requirement, the FDA currently holds regulatory authority over gene editing in food-producing animals.

The Department of Agriculture is projecting a $1.9 billion drop in exports this year, led by a decline in trade with China. While talks remain ongoing between China and the United States, USDA during its 95th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum Thursday predicted 2019 fiscal year exports at $141.5 billion. USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson told attendees China is expected to fall from the top market for U.S. exports in 2017, to the fifth largest market in 2019, pending the outcome of trade talks. The U.S. so far in 2019 has exported 13.5 million metric tons less of soybeans than the same time last year, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, USDA is forecasting record milk and animal protein production. USDA also predicts soybean plantings will decline this year as corn plantings increase. Corn plantings for the year are predicted at 92 million acres, up 3.3 percent from 2018, and soybean plantings are predicted at 85 million acres, down 4.7 percent from last year.

China is proposing additional purchases of U.S. agriculture products of $30 billion a year in trade talks with the United States. Bloomberg reports the offer would be on top of pre-trade war levels and continue for an undefined period of time. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters Thursday it was “premature” to comment on the proposal, adding he didn’t want to raise expectations. But, if an agreement is reached, Perdue says the U.S. structural reforms can “recover markets very, very quickly.” The proposal is part of the talks between trade officials from the U.S. and China taking place in Washington, D.C. this week. In response, Arlan Suderman of INTL FCStone, expressed caution, noting “China will say what needs to be said to get a deal, but the key component will be in the verification and enforcement.” The talks face a March 1 deadline, although President Trump has recently suggested he would consider extending the deadline.