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Good day and welcome to the Sprout, where it&#8217;s National Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day. If that&#8217;s not your cup of tea, Saturday is National Baked Scallops Day and Sunday is both National Coconut Torte Day and National Ginger Ale Day.
Also, daylight saving time starts early Sunday morning, so don&#8217;t forget to spring those clocks forward.
Now, here&#8217;s today&#8217;s agriculture news.
The Lead 
We start with some breaking news of Russia&#8217;s war on Ukraine. President Joe Biden announced on Friday that the U.S. will block imports of certain Russian products, including seafood and vodka, because of Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s deadly invasion of Ukraine. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-11/card/u-s-to-ban-russian-imports-of-alcohol-and-seafood-bv1kRtzU6t50GT8gWP0J">The Wall Street Journal has more.</a>
The U.S. will also revoke Russia&#8217;s &#8220;permanent normal-trade-relations&#8221; status, Biden told reporters. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/10/politics/russia-trade-status-us-g7-eu-biden/index.html">CNN has the latest.</a>
Elsewhere, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is warning that the invasion could cause food prices to spike <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8675451/global-food-priice-russia-ukraine-war-impact-un/">by eight to 20 per cent</a>. Russia and Ukraine supply 19 per cent of the world&#8217;s barley, 14 per cent of its wheat, and four per cent of its maize, according to the FAO. Reuters reports.
Italy wants the European Union to delay the implementation of policies that would limit agricultural production and suspend state aid rules for the agri-food sector, citing shortages caused by the war. <a href="https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/italy-urges-overhaul-of-eu-farm-rules-as-ukraine-war-hits-supplies">Reuters has that story.</a>
German Agriculture Minister Cem Oezdemir says restricting exports isn&#8217;t the answer to rising food prices, because global food markets must remain open to poorer countries. <a href="https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/food-export-curbs-not-the-answer-to-surging-prices-german-minister">Reuters has that story, too.</a>
Closer to home, the Western Producer asked farmers whether the recent spike in wheat prices would entice them to plant more wheat acres. <a href="https://www.producer.com/news/war-may-not-cause-big-wheat-acre-jump/">Their answer might surprise you.</a>
In related-headlines:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vZmluYW5jaWFscG9zdC5jb20vcG1uL2J1c2luZXNzLXBtbi91a3JhaW5lcy1mYXJtZXJzLXN0YWxsZWQtZnVlbGluZy1mZWFycy1vZi1nbG9iYWwtZm9vZC1zaG9ydGFnZXMtMtIBAA">Ukraine&#8217;s farmers stalled, fueling fears of global food shortages</a> (Reuters)</li>
<li><a href="https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/eu-wants-less-dependence-on-imported-chips-food-raw-materials-as-ukraine-war-rages">EU wants less dependence on imported chips, food, raw materials, as Ukraine war rages</a> (Reuters)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-03-11/supply-chain-latest-food-protectionism-threat-to-crop-trading">Food protectionism threatens to further disrupt global crop trading</a> (Bloomberg)</li>
<li><a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CBMidWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWdsb2JlYW5kbWFpbC5jb20vd29ybGQvYXJ0aWNsZS13YXItaW4tdWtyYWluZS1zcGFya3MtZWNvbm9taWMtdHVybW9pbC1mb3ItdGhlLXdvcmxkcy1wb29yLWFzLWZvb2QtYW5kL9IBAA">World’s poorest countries face power cuts, spike in food costs as war in Ukraine hits global supply</a> (Globe and Mail)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/deere-suspends-shipments-of-farm-equipment-to-russia-and-belarus-1.1735219">Deere suspends shipments of farm equipment to Russia and Belarus</a> (Bloomberg)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/09/mcdonalds-russian-shutdown-will-cost-fast-food-chain-50-million-a-month.html">McDonald&#8217;s says Russian shutdown will cost the fast-food chain $50 million a month</a> (CNBC)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/nestle-says-halts-non-essential-food-exports-imports-russia-2022-03-11/">Nestle halts non-essential food exports and imports to Russia</a> (Reuters)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/11/uk-farmers-warn-soaring-gas-costs-could-cut-food-production">U.K. farmers warn soaring gas costs could cut food production</a> (the Guardian)</li>
</ul>
Around Town
The Canadian Horticulture Council has a new name: Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada. Real Agriculture has more about <a href="https://www.realagriculture.com/2022/03/canadian-horticultural-council-marks-centennial-with-new-name-fruit-and-vegetable-growers-of-canada/">the name change</a>.
In Canada
Potato farmers in Prince Edward Island are still waiting to hear whether <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-potato-us-border-reopening-deadline-passes-1.6380529">they can resume shipments</a> to the U.S. As CBC News reports, the six-week deadline set since Canadian officials met with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has passed with no response from Washington.
Canadians have wasted more than $500 million in food in the last six months, says a Dalhousie University study. <a href="https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/canadians-wasted-more-than-500-million-worth-of-food-in-last-6-months-study-1.5814445">CTV News has more.</a>
A feed additive that can significantly reduce the amount of methane cattle produce, and that&#8217;s already approved in Europe, might not be on the market for years, because it&#8217;s classified as a veterinary drug in Canada. <a href="https://www.producer.com/news/feed-additive-remains-years-away-in-canada/">The Western Producer has that story.</a>
Climate change is forcing <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-design/article-bc-flower-farmers-flee-to-nova-scotia-to-escape-climate-change/">some B.C. flower growers</a> to move their farms to Nova Scotia, the Globe and Mail reports.
Internationally 
Panic buying in Hong Kong has made it harder for refugees in the city to find food, because they can only spend their food allowances at certain stores. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-refugees-struggle-find-food-empty-supermarket-shelves-2022-03-11/">Reuters has that story.</a>
The pandemic has increased meat prices <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meat-prices-pandemic-inflation-corporate-greed/">by double digits,</a> CBS News reports.
Politico is reporting that, because of a toxic fungicide used to grow them, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/bananas-are-early-battlefront-in-eu-bid-for-greener-farm-standards/">bananas could be the early victims</a> of the EU&#8217;s goal to make agriculture greener.
Noteworthy 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.realagriculture.com/2022/03/emission-reduction-target-proposal-includes-nod-to-4r-economics-and-productivity-but-red-flags-remain/">Emission reduction target proposal includes nod to 4R, economics, and productivity, but red flags remain</a> (Real Agriculture)</li>
<li><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8672473/high-gas-prices-montreal-food-delivery-drivers/">High gas prices taking a bite out of earnings for Montreal food delivery drivers</a> (Global)</li>
<li><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8672887/record-food-hampers-manitoba-harvest/">Record number of food hampers a grim milestone for Harvest Manitoba</a> (CJOB)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.producer.com/news/below-normal-runoff-expected-for-southern-sask/">Below normal runoff expected for southern Sask.</a> (Western Producer)</li>
<li><a href="https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/greenhouse-grown-strawberries-offer-eco-friendly-local-option-for-fruit-year-round-1.5814886">Greenhouse-grown strawberries offer eco-friendly local option for fruit year-round</a> (CTV)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/11/wells-fargo-initiates-deere-at-overweight-as-best-positioned-to-invest-in-automation.html">Deere shares have 20% upside as automation increases on the farm, Wells Fargo says</a> (CNBC)</li>
<li><a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiENd_bvzz87-I4b6HqaBh2iUqFQgEKg0IACoGCAowrqkBMKBFMJGBAg">Covid-19 has pushed Americans back to grandma’s kitchen where meatloaf, not Beyond Meat, is on the menu</a> (Forbes)</li>
</ul>
The Kicker 
We end with a sweet story from the Calgary Herald. More than $100,000 has been raised for Ukraine relief after local businesses organized <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/one-day-ice-cream-blitz-nets-100000-for-ukraine-relief-as-calgary-businesses-step-up">a one-day ice-cream blitz.</a>
That&#8217;s it for us this week. Have a great weekend and we&#8217;ll see you Monday.
This post was copy-edited after publication.

The Sprout: U.S. to block imports of Russian seafood and vodka