Eight former farmer-elected directors of the Canadian Wheat Board are asking the Supreme Court for leave to appeal a lower court ruling on the way the federal government stripped the agency of its marketing monopoly.

"We believe that this case raises issues that are important to all Canadians and is worthy of careful consideration by the Supreme Court of Canada", said Allen Oberg, farmer and former Chair of the CWB.

Supporters of the board have been arguing the federal government didn't follow a law that required it to let grain farmers vote on the future of the wheat board.

A Federal Court judge ruled in favour of those who wanted such a vote, but that ruling was later overturned in the government's favour by the Federal Court of Appeal.

Last December, the Conservatives used their majority in Parliament to scrap the board's monopoly on marketing Western wheat and barley starting Aug. 1.

The federal government recently announced it will spend $349 million to help pay for the severance and pensions of wheat board employees as they leave the agency.