Just over 400 students graduated from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) recently. This represents an 18.3 per cent increase in the number of students who graduated from the institution the previous academic year.

Dr. Paul Ivey, president of CASE, in congratulating the students on their achievement, said the management and staff of the institution were optimistic, but were "aware of the realities of the rapidly changing environment in which we operate."

"Given the critical challenges now being faced, Jamaica needs you more than ever to use your skills developed here to hasten its further growth and development; resist the temptation to migrate; do not give up on Jamaica," he charged graduants at the passing-out ceremony recently.

Employment

Dr. Ivey informed the gathering that over 90 per cent of students were successful in their examinations. He also noted that a tracer study conducted by CASE found that 67 per cent of the graduates last year gained employment in jobs related to their areas of study.

Over the past academic year, the college received $4.5 million as a grant from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica to develop and demonstrate the use of hybrid energy systems for small farmers.

The Portland-based institution also received $3.6 million in grant funding from the Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project to establish a pre-processing facility at the school's Spring Garden Farm, to process hot pepper mash for sale to Walkerswood Caribbean Foods Ltd. under an agreement.

Banana production, which is the main agricultural activity at the school, recovered with more than 200,000 pounds of bananas exported in the last year.