NEWS RELEASE
February 13 , 2008	For Immediate Release

CANADIAN AGRICULTURE SKILLS SERVICE (CASS)
CLAIM AND RECEIPT DEADLINE EXTENDED
Agriculture Canada and Saskatchewan Ag & Food extend reimbursement deadline to March 31, 2008

OTTAWA – Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville would like to advise participants of the Canadian Agriculture Skills Service (CASS) program that the deadline for submitting claims and receipts has been extended to March 31, 2008. This change affects only regular clients of CASS and not Canadian Farm Families Options Program (Options) participants. Options participants continue to have a March 31, 2009 deadline.

“The CASS program was established to help Canadian farm families improve farm profitability and income options through skills development and training,” said Breitkreuz.
CASS funding has supported training opportunities which have helped beginning and established farmers and their spouses improve their farm profitability, improve the safety and quality of farm food production, enhance environmentally responsible production, take advantage of new market opportunities resulting from recent scientific research, develop off-farm income options, and/or earn off-farm income to supplement farm income. CASS is funded by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and delivered in Saskatchewan by Saskatchewan Agriculture & Food.
“CASS has been an extremely successful program, and Agriculture Canada has increased funding for the current program run,” said Breitkreuz. “There is however a limit to the total funding under the regular CASS agreement. I urge CASS participants who have receipts or claims to submit to do so as soon as possible.”

Based on present demand, the 2007-08 program funding will be adequate, however, if demand results in more claims requests than the total funding available there may be some clients who do not receive their funding. Claims will be handled on an "as received" basis. Receipts and claims for reimbursement must be received in Regina or Saskatoon no later than March 31, 2008.

“The extension of CASS for a new program year is still under discussion between the Federal and Provincial governments with regards to its future delivery and funding,” said Breitkreuz. “I have addressed the Ministers of Agriculture for Canada and Saskatchewan and the President of the Treasury Board who authorizes program funding, urging them to facilitate the program through the next year at equal or higher values. Programs like CASS and the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) have been quite successful, both in participation and in assisting our farmers to the betterment and profitability of their farm practices. Hopefully this will continue through 2008-09.”

If funding is made available for 2008-09 then those CASS clients who create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) now would have a head start for next year. There are, however, no guarantees as there has yet to be a formal announcement for the 2008-09 program year funding.

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