WINNIPEG — Another court battle is shaping up over the future of wheat and barley production in Western Canada.
Eight former directors of the Canadian Wheat Board are appealing a recent court ruling regarding the end of the board’s monopoly.
The federal government is allowing western farmers to sell wheat and barley without going through the board, starting Aug. 1.
The former directors argued the government had no authority to make the change and asked a Manitoba judge to suspend it until a full court hearing could be held.
In February, the judge dismissed that idea, saying the government was within its rights.
The directors are now asking the Manitoba Court of Appeal to review the matter, saying farmers’ rights are being ignored.
The appeal is the latest in a string of legal actions between the former directors, who say the end of the wheat board monopoly will lead to lower prices, and the federal government, which says farmers deserve the right to sell to whomever they choose.