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Supreme court rules against Canadian Wheat Board backers

January 17, 2013, Ottawa, ON - The Supreme Court of Canada today denied Canadian Wheat Board backers the chance to appeal a court decision which let the federal government end the board's monopoly last year.

The SCC denied leave to appeal to both the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board and former CWB chair Allan Oberg.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said he was pleased by the decision.

"The overwhelming majority of Prairie grain farmers are already taking advantage of the benefits of an open market," he said.

"Our Government will continue to defend the rights of farmers and work with them to strengthen Canadian agriculture and our overall economy."

Ritz was in Manitoba Wednesday meeting with local farmers and announcing funding to help Manitoba food processors.

The groups were trying to have the country's highest court hear a challenge to a Federal Court of Appeal decision from June 2012 which ruled a lower court judge erred in saying Ritz broke the law when he amended the Canadian Wheat Board Act in 2011 without holding a vote among farmers.

See the full article here.

January 18, 2013  By Mia Rabson - Winnipeg Free Press