One of two dual market supporters on the Canadian Wheat Board’s board of directors says a dual market is a long way from ever becoming a reality.
Dwayne Anderson, who recently marked his first anniversary as a director, said he remains committed to the principle of dual marketing, which would see the CWB compete alongside private grain companies in an open market.
But during a recent private meeting with supporters who helped get him elected in District 7 in the 2002 CWB election, he counselled patience.
“I told them I’m not sure when we can win dual marketing because there’s only two out of 15 directors on side,” said Anderson, who farms near Fosston, Sask.
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Given that reality, there’s not much to be gained by continually arguing for and promoting a dual market.
“From my very first meeting I committed myself to adding value to the CWB while maintaining the vision of the people who voted for me,” said Anderson.
“I can’t add a lot of value if everything that comes out of my mouth says dual market.”
A total of four dual market supporters have been elected as CWB directors in the three elections held since 1998.
Ken Ritter and Rod Flaman changed their views and became single desk supporters. Jim Chatenay remains an implacable and single-minded foe of the single desk, and spent 23 days in jail as part of an anti-CWB protest in 2002.
Anderson said that while he and the controversial Alberta director are allies in that they both support a dual market, they disagree on how best to achieve that shared goal.
“I can’t do it his way,” he said. “I would be totally uncomfortable with that because I try to be constructive with everything I’ve done in my life.”
Rather then get involved in confrontations or arguments on the issue, the former president of North East Terminal Ltd. said he wants to help develop policies to make the board more flexible and responsive and give individual farmers more control over pricing and marketing decisions.
“I don’t want to bash the board,” he said.
“I’d rather work at it in a rational fashion and just keep plugging away and hopefully in two or three years we can see some changes that have added some value to farmers. That is my goal.”
Accomplishing that goal means working closely with other directors, selling them on his ideas, gaining allies and developing solid business-like proposals that will be beneficial, practical and affordable.
Sometimes discussions around the board table can become political, he said, with ideological lines drawn in the sand, but on the whole he finds the directors to be flexible and open to new ideas.
